


Zireael and Rhena

by snubeille



Series: Happier Endings [2]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, Double Penetration, Double Penetration in Two Holes, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fingerfucking, Fisting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Light BDSM, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Quickies, Romance, Skinny Dipping, Smut, Strap-Ons, Vaginal Fisting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:15:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26263252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snubeille/pseuds/snubeille
Summary: Ciri enjoys life on the Path after the defeating the Wild Hunt, but Geralt's happy ending in Toussaint has her wondering if she deserves more too...
Relationships: Anna Henrietta & Cecilia Bellante, Anna Henrietta/Cecilia Bellante, Ciri/Syanna, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Syanna | Rhenawedd, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon/Syanna, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon/Syanna | Rhenawedd, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Philippa Eilhart/Triss Merigold, Triss Merigold/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Series: Happier Endings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908112
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	1. Corvo Bianco

**Author's Note:**

> Don't see a lot on Ciri/Syanna, so these are events that take place after Blood and Wine. I always imagined them being happy together.

Ciri woke up to penetrating sunlight dancing on the wooden beams holding up the ceiling. Her room at her father’s giant estate at Corvo Bianco was fine, beautiful and well furnished, but it was altogether too pretty; her bed was too soft, the room was too big, there were dresses in her closet, a room befitting the empress lifestyle she had left behind when she opted to pursue life on The Path instead of take over after Emhyr. Instead, she preferred to sleep on the hay bales in Roach’s stable, underneath the big window that overlooked the rolling hills of Toussaint, most noticeably the sprawling vineyard next to Corvo Bianco that belonged to her older sister, Triss, and her wife, Philippa.  
Ciri loved coming home to a big family; Yennefer and Triss had produced huge families and everyone was getting on so nicely that Ciri almost felt out of place now, so rough around the edges and undomesticated as her father, mother, and sister figures were building families and permanent homes and lives in just one place, no longer fighting, running, strategizing, hunting, or any of the things they had to do in their past lives to survive. But Ciri liked this; she would return to Touissant in the winters, when it was too cold and barren in the North, happy to come home to a warm estate with food and wine aplenty, but staying too long would have her swirling with doubts as to where she was supposed to belong in this big happy picture. Life on The Path felt right, and for the first time in her life she felt free, just roaming, sleeping under the stars, but it was now her fifth winter in Toussaint and she wondered if there was to be something else to keep her warm, not just the heat of Toussaint and all of the noises coming from the daily rituals of Yen, Triss, and Philippa, while Geralt looked after all the children.  
Ciri was interrupted in her thoughts when she heard the sounds of a whole company of horses and carriages pulling into Corvo Bianco. Curious, she rushed outside, emerging from the barn in her thin linen shirt, opened well below her cleavage, light brown leather hunting pants, and dark fork-tail skin boots.  
Ciri’s ears were correct; 20 horses, with officers dismounting, were standing in her father’s courtyard, with a huge, ornate, white and gold carriage pulled by six horses. Two women stepped out of the carriage, one with light brown hair, gold streaks shimmering in the sun, wearing a bedazzled gold crown and velvety green dress, and the other with black hair, fair skin, dressed in a tight black leather bodice and matching leather pants. Ciri was intrigued; as far as she knew her father never entertained, now being too busy with children and hyper-sexual wives and friends.  
She followed from a distance as the company migrated into the house, no doubt joining the family for an early brunch. She darted into the back of the house, making her way into the main dining room from the kitchen so that she could properly observe the spectacle; she stood safely behind one of the full armor suits Geralt had on display.  
‘Geralt, Geralt, how are you, old friend,’ the light brown haired one said as she embraced Geralt and marveled at the new artwork and weapons collections he had on display. She greeted the rest of the families, waiting until she had greeted everyone before continuing, ‘I apologize for the rather large company, but Geralt, you remember my sister, Syanna. This is her first time leaving the palace, and though I trust her wholeheartedly and we are closer than ever, I thought it would just put us all at ease if we could have some extra company.’  
‘It is no bother at all; we shall dine outside then,’ Yennefer replied, signaling to Barnabas Basil to prepare the outdoor tables to seat the now huge party.  
Ciri saw the black-haired woman roll her eyes, but smile weakly at what her sister had said. Complicated relationship it seems, Ciri thought as she examined Syanna, she had small scars on her cheeks and neck, and probably elsewhere, Ciri guessed.  
While the food and tables were being set up, Yennefer nudged Geralt to show the party around his vast estate, which was in considerably better condition than when he first acquired the property; the grisly murders and financial ruin of the previous owners was now thoroughly erased from the restored Corvo Bianco. The Duchess, Ciri learned, Anna Henrietta, was thoroughly impressed and would hold her sister’s hand as they walked and they would whisper and laugh together occasionally. Other times, Ciri thought Syanna looked sad, or forlorn, longing in some capacity. Ciri made a note to press Geralt about what happened between the two sisters after they had left.  
After a swift 30 minutes, the wonderfully adept majordomo found the party and informed them that brunch was ready. Barnabas Basil was an exceptional host and caretaker of the estate, and Ciri loved playing Gwent with him; during this meal she would probably steal a plate off the table and eat with him in the kitchen.  
Geralt, Yen, Triss, Phil, Anna Henrietta, and Syanna all took seats at the end of the long table that was closest to the garden. Yen motioned to Ciri to join them, and Ciri panicked, knowing that now it would be almost impossible to sneak off to chat up her friend, away from the pleasantries. Ciri tried to pretend that she was running after the children, but even they came to the table when Yennefer gave them her signature stares; Ciri reluctantly followed and sunk into the seat next to her mother, putting her between Yen and Triss, directly across from Syanna.  
Ciri felt awkward, and tried to smile stiffly when Yen introduced her to Annarietta, as she was sometimes called, and Syanna. Ciri could have sworn she saw the left corner of Syanna’s mouth turn up when they locked eyes, but Ciri quickly looked at the mountain of food in front of them and began attacking the enormous turkey roast in front of her, grabbing a leg with her left hand and a huge scoop of roasted potatoes with her right. Triss giggled as the rest of the table sat patiently as the servants set dainty salad plates down in front of each person, everyone jealously watching Ciri devour her food. Ciri ignored it all, showing Yennefer that she had made a mistake by forcing Ciri to join them at the table.  
Syanna laughed and this made Ciri blush; Syanna’s laugh was so unique. Sharp and raspy, as if laughing was something she rarely did, despite all the giggling she seemed to do with her sister; Ciri guessed that much of that was forced, but this laugh was something else altogether. Ciri was frozen now, listening to Syanna laugh as Ciri’s cheeks turned bright red and she kept her head down into her food. Soon enough, everyone was laughing and started to dig in, even Yennefer chuckling while shaking her head and serving herself some potatoes.  
When Syanna finally stopped laughing, Ciri looked up and smiled awkwardly, trying not to focus on her red cheeks as she tried to meet Syanna’s eyes, which she felt burning into her face. Syanna had an intensity about her, and when Ciri’s green eyes finally locked with Syanna’s deep brown eyes, Ciri blushed again as she cursed to herself. Syanna was studying her face, and just as Syanna was probably looking at Ciri’s scars, Ciri was looking at Syanna’s. Cliche as it was, the rest of the company faded into the background as these two just stared at each other. Ciri didn’t dare let her eyes wander down to the bursting cleavage being restrained by Syanna’s leather bodice, but Syanna had no such reservations, piercing her gaze through Ciri’s thin linen shirt, no doubt noting how hard her nipples were and how flushed her chest was becoming.  
But the moment faded away again as Annarietta roped her sister into a conversation and Yen telepathically let Ciri know that she could go back to the stable now that she had made her appearance and sat at the table. Ciri thanked her mom and got up and left, cursing for looking so stupid and flush in front of Syanna.  
She flopped back onto her hay bales and tossed her favorite rock up at the ceiling over and over, wondering about Syanna. What happened there? Why all the guards? Where did she get those scars? Ciri’s mind was spinning with theories, but she would have to wait until they were gone to ask Geralt.  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Geralt popping his head in and saying, ‘Hey the ladies wanna go riding wanna come?’  
Fuck, Ciri thought to herself, fuck fuck fuck fuck… She was rushing around getting a saddle on her white and brown spotted mare as Geralt spoke sweetly to Roach as they both got prepared to ride. Ciri also donned a tight leather hunting vest so that her nipples wouldn’t chafe as much while they galloped along. Once ready, they mounted and rode out to meet Annarietta and Syanna; the sorceresses had opted to stay home to tend to the children, but Ciri knew that they were dying for an excuse to steal away to their favorite section of the river and wash each other and play while their guests were entertained. Ciri envied how excited they were to be with each other, even Phil and Yen would giggle and hold hands sometimes while they both embraced their Triss.  
Annarietta was on a beautiful white mare with silky braided hair and long lashes; Syanna was on an equally stunning black horse, with matching braids. They both changed outfits to stuffy royal riding clothes, the only difference being that Annarietta wore hers properly, while Syanna let her shirt go untucked and her buttons unbottoned, looking more like a rebellious son of a noble, donning all of the clothing of wealth and status, but wearing it with such little care.  
Geralt hung back and indicated to Ciri that they should let the duchess and her sister ride in front. But Syanna wasted no time and took off, which forced Ciri’s mare to take off after the beautiful black stallion that Syanna was on. Oh gods, Ciri though, could this be anymore humiliating as she used Axii to help calm her horse to a manageable canter to catch up with Syanna. But Syanna was fast, and Ciri found herself soon telling her horse to speed up to catch up to the royal renegade. Ciri was panting as she clutched the rains and posted on her horse as the young mare flew beneath her, trying to catch up with the alluring stallion, no doubt. Syanna let her hair down, laughing as she looked back at Ciri trying to catch up.  
Syanna made a sharp right turn, hooking behind a hill and Ciri struggled to make the sharp turn after her. She chased after Syanna, who was now riding into the trees, along the riverbank that led into Lac Celavy. Syanna disappeared as she rode through some trees, and Ciri got off her horse to see better the tracks that she had left behind. To her surprise, the tracks lead to the water, and Ciri was puzzled as she tried to look through the trees as to where this horse could have gone. Following the tracks and noting she was getting closer and closer to the water, she found the black stallion bending down to drink the water of the lake, and Syanna’s clothes strewn all over the shore of the lake.  
Ciri’s breath left her lungs as she saw Syanna emerge from the lake, naked and wet, her pale skin puckering as a cool breeze swept through her hair. Ciri could see now the huge scars that were etched into Syanna’s body, pale strips or knurled skin that likely came from huge gashes all over her back and front; this time Ciri couldn’t help but stare. Syanna chuckled and said ‘Come join me; it’s not fair if I can’t stare back.’  
‘I wasn’t—- I— I,’ Ciri was stammering, the words not coming out properly. Fuck FUCK she thought to herself as she hastily removed her clothing and jumped into the water, eager to submerge herself in the waters and not face Syanna’s teasing laughter anymore.  
She emerged only after she had used up all of her breath, wishing she could have some Killer Whale potion to let her stay under the water even longer to live out her shame and awkwardness and embarrassment. She stared back at shore, watching Syanna giggle as she descended slowly into the water, Ciri squinting her eyes to watch the water level pass over Syanna’s legs, her navel, her breasts, and finally she submerged and swam up to Ciri.  
‘Hi, Ciri,’ Syanna said, smiling genuinely with her eyes, which Ciri noted she did not do when greeting and talking with everyone back at Corvo Bianco.  
‘Hi…’ Ciri said as she treaded water in front of Syanna. They were initially a meter apart, but Ciri could feel Syanna closing the distance with every passing second.  
‘Nice scars,’ Syanna said, her eyes piercing Ciri’s.  
‘You too.’  
‘Ha thank you. It’s rare to meet someone like you.’  
‘Likewise.’  
Syanna seemed totally as ease as she grinned and approached Ciri, but Ciri felt her heart beating out of her chest and she was losing her breath fast as she tried to keep her head above water and maintain a distance from Syanna.  
‘So where did you get yours?’ Ciri bravely managed to get out.  
‘Hmm some knights and my father and some bad bad people,’ Syanna said nonchalantly, still smiling at Ciri, ‘What about you?’  
‘Um monsters and battles and whatnot…’ Ciri said, trailing off as Syanna kept trying to move closer and closer.  
Ciri had eventually run out of energy and tried to make her way back to shore, but this only made things worse as she felt sand in her feet, allowing her to stand in the water, and Syanna could stand even closer in front of her.  
‘Why so flustered, Ciri? Have I done something?’ Syanna asked with the one corner of her lips upturned.  
‘I just… I just… I am just curious about you,’ Ciri stuttered.  
‘You see my pain, do you?’  
‘Well I am not sure what I see, hence my curiosity.’  
Ciri and Syanna were standing practically with their breasts touching, bobbing above the surface barely an inch apart.  
‘I was born cursed by the Black Sun. And this led to me being treated badly and treating people badly in return. Hence the small army my sister brought to your house. Just in case I was feeling particularly… impulsive today.’  
‘Ah. I see. Well I am glad you were able to find some restraint then,’ Ciri breathed as she felt Syanna’s nipples brush against hers, both of them now rock hard at the cold and the teasing stimulation.  
‘Yes but you undoubtedly heard that everything is fine now according to my sister, so no need for any worry.’  
‘You talk funny.’  
‘How do you mean?’  
‘I just mean that you deflect everything and act like it’s all a joke to you,’ Ciri breathed as she felt Syanna wrap an arm around Ciri’s waist, bringing their lips dangerously close together.  
‘So what? Should I just sob in your arms, Lady Ciri?’ Syanna asked, smiling, rubbing her nose against Ciri’s while holding Cirilla close with both arms, no longer any water or air between their bodies.  
‘I just wonder if you let anyone in,’ Ciri said, placing her arms on Syanna’s shoulders.  
‘Have you anyone in mind?’  
Ciri replied by pressing her lips against Syanna’s, before they heard the sound of Geralt and Annarietta’s horses. FUCK, Ciri quickly ducked under the water and swam away from Syanna, trying to get as far away from the cursed princess as she could before her father saw her.  
Ciri, from underneath the water, could hear people talking above the surface, and she could see Syanna’s blurry legs leaving the lake. Ciri bobbed her head up to see Geralt turned away, facing the trees while Syanna got dressed and Annarietta was scolding her. Ciri figured it was safe to emerge once both the duchess and her sister were mounted on their horses once more. She saw them both leave before she got out to put her clothes on, hoping that Geralt had no idea what had happened.  
‘I can’t read minds like your mom, but even I know when something is bothering you, Ciri,’ Geralt said after Ciri was clothed and mounted on her horse. They rode back together in silence, Ciri not wanting to say anything and Geralt not one to pry.  
Ciri and Geralt returned to Corvo Bianco to see the duchess’s company preparing to leave. Ciri offered to take both horses to the stables so that Geralt could bid farewell to the duchess, but more so that she could avoid Syanna. Ciri put the horses away, removing their saddles, brushing them, giving them treats, lovingly stroking their coats and whispering sweet words of thanks for the rides today.  
She turned around to see Syanna standing in the doorway, who said nothing as she walked right up to Ciri, kissing her forcefully, but not in an unwelcome way. Syanna grabbed Ciri’s ass with one hand and her hair with the other, letting it down to her shoulders while Ciri reached inside Syanna’s pants, forcing her hand inside her insanely tight leather pants. Syanna moaned and cursed as Ciri pressed two fingers inside her slit, barely sliding in and out, constricted by Syanna’s oppressive leather pants.  
Syanna cursed some more and just pulled her pants down to her knees before Ciri pushed her onto a stack of hay bales and began pounding her pussy while biting her neck and moaning. Syanna was trying to undo Ciri’s pants frantically while Ciri felt her tightening around her fingers, driving Ciri wild as she slid three fingers in and felt Syanna start to squirt.  
‘SYANNA WE ARE LATE LET’S GO,’ Annarietta screamed. Syanna was twitching, arching, screaming into Ciri’s hand that was pressing into her mouth as Ciri continued fingering her through her second orgasm before quickly withdrawing and pulling Syanna’s pants up again.  
Ciri wiped her fingers on her shirt as Syanna put herself together again, both of them flush from pleasure and the rush of trying to stay hidden and silent while they ravaged each other. When they were both decent, Syanna gave her a quick peck on the forehead before they emerged and Syanna ran up to her sister, quickly ducking into their carriage as Ciri awkwardly waved to the company rolling out of the courtyard of Corvo Bianco.  
When everyone had finally left, she could see Yennefer across from her, narrowing her eyes at her with suspicion, with Triss giggling next to her holding two of her young children.  
‘Very smooth, Cirilla,’ Yennefer said telepathically.  
‘Yenna don’t judge, Ciri is a grown woman,’ Triss replied telepathically while kissing Yennefer on the cheek.  
Ciri grumbled at her telepathic mother and Triss as she retreated back into the stables as Triss put the kids down and started making out with Yennefer. They love to rub it in, Ciri thought as she slunk away, alone.


	2. Into Beauclair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciri goes into town to help Geralt when she runs into Syanna...

Ciri could not sleep that night, her mind racing and replaying that moment with Syanna over and over, the way her eyes rolled to to the back of her head as she orgasmed, screaming into Ciri’s hand. Ciri was too tired to wash her shirt from where she wiped the fingers she used on Syanna; she could still feel her encrusted fluids as she rubbed her fingers over the shirt, trying to place herself back in that moment.  
She tossed and turned and wondered if Syanna was remembering too; if her defense mechanisms could have been penetrated by Ciri’s genuine attraction and curiosity. If she felt anything at all. Geralt had told Ciri afterwards that he once rejected Syanna’s proposal for casual sex on the basis of her not feeling anything or caring at all; Geralt was such a softie in this regard, but now Ciri was wondering if she was soft too. As much as Ciri did need release, and as much as she was confused and annoyed by Syanna’s arrogance and apathy, she could not bury how deeply intrigued she was and how on some level she was sure that they could relate to one another.  
After a restless night, Ciri rose again the next morning to see Yennefer, Triss, and Philippa preparing breakfast and playing with the children. Geralt was preparing to do the weekly shopping, which now required him to hitch a cart to poor Roach, who now had to supply Corvo Bianco’s many, many residents. BB always insisted that the servants could do the shopping, but Ciri knew that Geralt loved his shopping time to get away and interact with the locals, patronizing the small farms and local businesses. Ciri opted to go with Geralt, needing to get away and ask him more questions about Syanna’s troubled past.  
Ciri saddled her mare up with extra big saddle bags to help offset the load from Roach, and they rode side by side into Beauclair. Ciri loved riding through Toussaint, literally the most beautiful land she had ever seen in all her years and worlds and times. As they leisurely trotted along the country roads into the city, Ciri inhaled deep and just marveled at the wonders of the landscape around her. The great mountains on one side, snowcapped peaks showing just above the most fluffy and pillowy clouds, dipping down into lush meadows and tall trees. On the other side, the lake with crystal clear waters and people fishing, swimming, and feeling the simple joy of being alive in a place like Toussaint. As they got closer to the city, Ciri didn’t even mind watching the perfect rustic landscape slip away into the grand palatial mountains instead. As they rode into the market, all bowed before Geralt, the famed and respected Slayer of the Beast of Beauclair, a name that garnered respect from every citizen of the duchy and allowed Geralt to get hefty discounts on all goods, but Geralt always made sure to leave hefty tips in return. Locals would pile and pile their goods into his cart and Ciri’s saddle bags, honored to have the duchy’s most famous hero eating their crops. Geralt dismounted to hand out coin to every person coming up to his cart; Ciri could see why he loved this, for never had a witcher been so loved or so respected for both his deed of slaying the monster, but also the chivalric virtue of generosity. It was beautiful to witness, as Ciri herself dismounted to thank the lovely locals who were putting items into her saddle bag as well, offering coin and blushing at compliments of her beauty and resemblance to her father. Once they completed their loop around the marketplace and the cart and saddlebags were essentially overflowing, they parked their horses and made their way on foot to the armory, where Geralt regularly went to have his armor repaired and to look at the stock of gorgeous, master crafted weapons. Though he rarely took contracts anymore, Ciri saw him becoming more and more of a collector, fitting into his role as lord of a manor now, taking pride in displaying beautiful weapons. But Geralt never admitted this, since he always said that these were ‘for work and work only; vanity and materialism do not befit a witcher’ which always made Ciri laugh in his face as he cracked a smile.  
On their way, they walked past the florist, where Ciri thought she glimpsed a familiar jet black head of hair and tight leather outfit, faced away from her, browsing among the orchids. Ciri felt her heart drop to the floor as she froze, trying to will the other woman to turn towards her. But the woman proceeded into the shop, and Ciri still could not move. Geralt, noticing Ciri had stopped walking, turned back and watched her gazing into the flower shop.  
‘What are you doing? Just go in after her! Meet me back at the armory I will wait for you there. Gods know I could spend forever in there. Go’ Geralt said as he pushed her into the doorway of the shop.  
Ciri pushed back against him and cursed at him as he threw her into the shop, forcing her to stumble across the threshold as she cussed him out and took note to beat him later. The tussle at the doorway caused all heads in the shop to turn towards Ciri, which prompted her to sweat and turn a bright, bright shade of tomato red. The woman with jet black hair looked right at her and laughed, that signature throaty laugh that had made Ciri blush so much the first time.  
‘Did you really not want to see me, Ciri? To the point where your father had to force you in here?’ Syanna said as she strode towards Ciri, embracing the woman and whispering in her ear, ‘Have you been thinking about me?’  
Ciri embraced her back, hesitantly, not sure where to place her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to answer Syanna truthfully, especially since she was scared that Syanna was teasing her and playing with her.  
‘What are you doing out on your own? I don’t see your handlers.’  
‘Ouch, Ciri. I am my own woman.’  
‘NO that’s not what I meant I’m sorry I just thought—‘  
‘Can you relax? It’s okay haha my liberties have been expanded to wander and buy from the local shops in Beauclair. Looks good for the duchy and lets me stretch my legs a little. How have you been? You look good, though a touch flustered.’  
‘Oh I am fine. It’s a nice break being here, getting away from my thoughts when I am by myself.’  
‘Mmm that I can understand. What’s say you and I get away? I know a little spot and I can get some food from the palace.’  
‘Oh but Geralt is waiting for me and I shouldn’t keep him waiting—‘  
‘Don’t do that, Ciri. You and I both know that Geralt is more than happy to leave you be. What’s the real reason you don’t want to be with me this afternoon?’  
‘I… I’ Ciri was stammering, trying to not divulge all of the thoughts swirling around her head, all of the times she was remembering and thinking about Syanna and their quick moment of heat and passion and lust, ‘It’s not that I don’t want to ‘be’ with you… I just am hesitant because I can’t get a read on you.’  
‘Ah so you think I am going to just take advantage of you since I am evil and not trustworthy. I understand’ Syanna said as she quickly paid for her flowers and walked out of the shop.  
Ciri ran after her and grabbed her shoulder, ‘No no please wait that’s not what I mean. Please, Syanna. I… I just really am so intrigued by you and I have not felt this way in a long time and I am just scared of getting hurt. And I heard from Geralt that you don’t take your trysts seriously, but I do, and I can’t stop thinking about you and your lips and your everything UGH but I am scared and I don’t want to get hurt, so letting someone in would just throw everything off and I wouldn’t be safe anymore.’  
Syanna turned around and cupped Ciri’s face with her free hand, gently pulling Ciri’s lips onto hers, kissing her sweetly and tenderly. She pulled away and hovered her lips above Ciri’s as she purred ‘Do you think that I am above loneliness? Insecurity? Fear? I know these things too, Ciri, but I sensed something different about you. You know my pain and you have the scars to show for it. But I can’t force you to trust me.’  
‘Well can we start with a picnic then?’ Ciri giggled as she wiped a tear away from her face. Syanna laughed and grabbed her hand, leading Ciri back to the palace. On the way, they passed the armory and Ciri quickly ducked inside to let Geralt know where she was going. Geralt gave her a thumbs up and quickly returned to examining the swords that the master was presenting for him.  
Ciri ran outside to rejoin Syanna, bravely reaching out to hold her hand, which made Syanna giggle as they walked to the palace. Talking about the weather, the beauty of Toussaint, and the fresh air, all things they never had when they were growing up as children on the run, fighting for their lives for as long as they could both remember. Ciri could not remember the last time she felt these butterflies, walking hand in hand with a woman, giggling and burying her face into Syanna’s shoulder. It was all new, and even Syanna was awkward at times, trying to hold Ciri’s hand and her flowers and turn around to kiss Ciri every few steps had made her hard exterior crack enough to make Ciri smile and laugh.  
When they finally reached the palace and found their way into the kitchen, Syanna passed her flowers off to a servant and got a basket from the shelves. ‘Grab whatever you want and I will go get some wine.’  
Ciri looked at the gigantic kitchen with eyes as large as dinner plates. She immediately grabbed all of her favorites, roast chicken, ham sandwiches, 4 kinds of cheeses, sourdough bread, grapes, pears, apples, and lots and lots of roast potatoes. She tried to neatly pack everything into the basket that Syanna had grabbed, but even the hefty basket could barely hold all of the nourishment that Ciri needed. When Syanna came back holding two bottles of wine, she laughed at Ciri trying to force all of the food into the basket.  
Coming up behind her, wrapping her free arm around her waist, kissing her neck, she whispered ‘How about two baskets then?’  
Ciri blushed and went to go grab another while Syanna chuckled and started taking out some of the food, ensuring the grapes did not get squished and that the pears were soft and that hot food was hot and the cold food was cold. Separating the food by temperature and packing the baskets this way, Ciri was satisfied and Syanna grabbed her hand again as they made their way out.  
They walked along a path leading away from the palace for some time, walking out of the palace and city, into a grassy hill overlooking Beauclair. Ciri assumed this was the absolute limit of Syanna’s freedom, and she could tell that Syanna came out here regularly to get as far away as she could to be alone.  
The grass was so soft that they didn’t need to pack a blanket, and they opened the baskets and tore into the food, both of them so used to eating on the ground outside, giving no mind to manners as they ate. They talked with their mouths full, fed each other, laughed, drank wine, and ate until they were positively stuffed. Then they both fell onto their backs and looked up at the crystal blue sky, puffy clouds, and the occasional bird that would fly overhead. The nearby trees were making music in their leaves and branches as little breezes would flow through and keep a perfect ambient temperature for the already perfect Toussaint.  
Ciri got up on her elbow and looked down at Syanna, who was looking up at Ciri with a gentle, sweet expression that she had not seen while they were in public or at Corvo Bianco. Syanna reached up to touch Ciri’s face and bring her into a kiss.  
‘I am sorry that the last opportunity we had to be together alone was so rushed… I know that I did not get the chance to pleasure you, dear Ciri.’  
‘No that’s fine I loved watching you and I craved you.’  
‘Well I shall return the admiration, lest you feel like I do not feel the same way you do,’ Syanna said as she gently pushed Ciri onto her back, kissing her deeply and slowly removing her own clothing and then Ciri’s, kissing her all over as she removed each piece of clothing. Syanna was not kidding, Ciri thought, she really does want to take her time, as she giggled as she felt Syanna’s tongue slowly circling around her navel and slowly licking up to her breasts. Ciri was melting to her touch, her back arching as her pleasure was swelling with every lick, feeling light beads of sweat forming on her back as Syanna teased her and slowly reached a hand down to play with Ciri’s pussy.  
‘Oh Ciri…’ Syanna said as she felt Ciri’s fluids coursing out from her pleasure, ‘Gods you are amazing.’  
Syanna was not slow in what happened next; immediately she pushed her head down between Ciri’s legs, sucking and licking up all of the juice leaking from the young witcher, gently pushing her lips apart to slide a finger inside while she continued to lick and drink from Ciri’s oasis. Ciri was moaning and running her hands along Syanna’s backside, feeling the bumps of scars and indents of burns, eventually finding Syanna’s pussy which was equally wet, inserting a finger and watching Syanna’s body shake as Ciri gently but forcefully massaged her insides, repeating the same patterns that had made Syanna’s eyes roll back uncontrollably the last time. Both of their pleasures were mounting and Ciri couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled Syanna’s face up so that she could keep kissing her as she orgasmed; she wanted to feel Syanna’s lips on hers as she rode out her pleasure. Syanna kept fingering her and Ciri kept doing the same, both of them starting to orgasm into each other’s hands, feeling their tongues massage each others and feeling the wetness squirting onto their hands. It was lucky that both of them could squirt, and smart of them to not be on a blanket that could get stained. Instead, they both moaned and sighed and kissed as they watered the grass beneath them, both of them gushing at the same time as they tenderly and slowly kept kissing. They were both well versed in multitasking as they kept their fingers moving adeptly as they both climaxed, Ciri going even faster, challenging Syanna to cum again. Syanna immediately responded by squirting a second time and picking up the pace to force Ciri to do the same. This time Ciri could not hold on and she had to break away from Syanna’s lips to let out a scream, which made Syanna giggle with pride. Even after they both came another time, and another after that, withdrawing their fingers, they never stopped kissing, and continued to make love with just their mouths on each others for the next hour until finally Ciri’s face was numb and she had to stop so she could look at the mysterious and amazing woman in front of her.  
‘How is it that we both came to end up here in Toussaint, the most beautiful place on Earth, but didn’t know any semblance of happiness until we found each other?’ Ciri asked, daring to admit how Syanna made her feel.  
Syanna kissed Ciri’s forehead and replied ‘I think it’s just a sign… being around family and pursuing love will eventually put us on the right path,’ as she turned bright red. ‘I— I don’t mean I love you, but I mean I wanted to pursue you and… and you make me feel happy too.’  
Ciri laughed and climbed on top of Syanna and tickled her, kissing the soft skin of her neck, gently nibbling on her scars and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her naked back. This is heaven, Ciri thought, this is absolute heaven.  
Before they knew it, the sun started to set, and the two of them put their clothes on as it started to get cooler. Syanna had a curfew that she also had to adhere to, a strict sundown, otherwise she would not be let out again for another month. So they packed up their belongings and held hands again as they walked back to the palace.  
‘I’m sorry I can’t escort you home, dear Ciri, but I’m sure you understand,’ Syanna said, kissing her lover on the lips before ducking into the back entrance of the palace.  
Ciri nodded and watched Syanna disappear into the castle, and started walking back to find her horse. Mounting up again to go home, Ciri slowly wove her way out of the city and found herself in the free open air of the Toussaint countryside once more, basking in her happiness and the beauty of her surroundings. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains and the night sky started to light up with stars and the moon; the crickets started chirping and she could hear villagers bringing out their music to dance and sing and drink. To Ciri, it seemed that being merry was just as important as any of Toussaint’s other chivalric virtues, and for once she could understand why.  
When she finally arrived home, she put the contents of her saddlebags in the kitchen, put her horse to rest, and finally was able to have a good night of sleep with blissful dreams and pleasurable memories to help her get some much needed rest.


	3. Syanna's Bedroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pureeee smut, felt like the second chapter was not satisfying enough

Ciri was biting into Syanna’s shoulder and neck, moaning and closing her eyes while her lover fingered her deeply and adeptly, rubbing her clit with her thumb while still managing to penetrate Ciri so deeply. Ciri was kissing and biting and trying to hold onto Syanna, who with the other hand was holding Ciri close and kissing her and smelling her hair.  
‘Good girl,’ Syanna moaned into Ciri’s hair as Ciri kept clenching and holding onto Syanna. Ciri was unraveling and started shaking as Syanna started to pick up the pace, and Ciri started to feeling her pussy begin to pulsate as she started to cum, but Syanna withdrew her fingers completely and giggled as Ciri cursed and started begging Syanna for release.  
‘If you want to cum you need to show me how good you can be…’  
Ciri immediately climbed up onto her knees on the bed in front of Syanna, spreading her legs, letting her fluids drip onto the bed beneath her as she started rubbing her own clit with her right hand and her nipple with her left. Moaning and feeling herself reaching her peak again she started getting louder and rubbing faster, to which Syanna sat up and slapped her across the face.  
‘Bad girl; you can’t make yourself cum. You only know how to cum because I make you cum,’ Syanna sneered as she pushed Ciri onto the bed face first, forcing her down on her stomach and spreading her legs.  
Syanna began entering her from behind, forcing two fingers inside her wet folds as she screamed and writhed into the bed. She was already beginning to tighten around Syanna’s fingers as soon as she felt them, and she got frustrated that she was so ready to cum so easily. Gods, she thought, think of something gross, think of something, just don’t cum so easily and don’t give her the satisfaction. Clenching her jaw and fighting off Syanna’s fingers, fighting off Syanna gently rubbing against her asshole, Ciri persisted against her master’s tortures. She knew she would be punished again if she came too early, so she had to fight with all of her strength not to cum. Don’t fucking do it, she thought, just hold on just hold on, scream if you have to just don’t fucking cum. She was sweating profusely, and shaking so much that the bed started to quake beneath her; Syanna was being so relentless, so cruel in her treatment of Ciri’s sex, at this point pounding into her with her whole body, trying to force all her fingers inside of Ciri. Gods, GODS, I can’t hold on I can’t hold on—  
Syanna, expertly sensing that Ciri was on the verge of explosion, withdrew and flipped Ciri over again onto her back. Ciri’s face was completely red and they were both breathing heavy, sweating, and cursing. Ciri had to come down off the orgasm that she was denied, she knew she needed to come off the edge; every time Syanna entered her she was ready to cum and she needed to slow down. Syanna was hard to gauge, and Ciri couldn’t tell if she would be merciful today, recalling that just the day before Syanna chained her to her desk chair and didn’t let her eat the lavish meal that Syanna’s chefs had prepared until Ciri had cum at least 10 times from being fisted and bent to Syanna’s will. Ciri did not want to eat cold chicken and potatoes today.  
But Syanna was being so mysterious; she climbed off the bed and disappeared into her huge wardrobe, rifling through her things as Ciri just lay on the bed, feeling all of the fluids drain from her holes, relieved that Syanna was allowing her some rest.  
But when Syanna emerged with her artifact, Ciri’s relief immediately dissipated. Syanna was bringing back not one, but two huge dildos, encased in slick, waterproof leather, along with a riding crop and blindfold. Syanna harnessing both dildos on, one on top of the other so that she had 2 to attack Ciri with, was the last thing Ciri saw before she felt the coarse blindfold covering her eyes. Then she felt the broad tip of the riding crop stroking up and down her body, flicking her nipples, gently swatting her breasts and stomach. Ciri loved the feeling of the leather on her skin, and she felt Syanna flop the dildos onto her stomach. Ciri only caught quick glances of them, but they were identical in girth, Ciri guessed she would have needed to hands to wrap around the width of one of them, and lengthwise Ciri could feel the top of the dildo reaching above her belly button. Syanna began rubbing them against Ciri’s pussy, collecting all of the fluids leaking out of her before penetrating her, one tip in her vagina, the other in her ass. Ciri yelled out, ‘FUCK’ as she felt the two giant dildos entering her at the same time.  
‘Good girl, yes you are being good, staying so tight for me.’  
‘Gods why both?’  
‘Well I have always wanted you to feel the extreme stretching of double penetration, but I would kill anybody that tried to touch you, baby. Surely you understand.’  
Ciri didn’t reply as she had to yell again as Syanna pushed both dildos further deeper inside of her. She loved how possessive Syanna was, she loved how much Syanna seemed to like fucking her and only her. She had never experienced someone caring so much and wanting to provide her with all her needs. Syanna was getting greedy at this point, forcing at least half of the dildos lengths into Ciri’s pussy and ass. Every time Ciri clenched up or tried to push Syanna out with her hands, Syanna used a heavy hand with her riding crop to swat Ciri’s nipples. Unable to move without being smacked with the crop, Ciri had to stay as still as possible as she was being torn apart in the most divine way by her dominant mistress. She finally felt Syanna push all the way inside, her hips touching the insides of Ciri’s thighs as she felt the dildos reach all the way inside of her.  
Ciri exhaled, feeling the maximum of Syanna’s penetration, and she felt a twinge of relief, knowing that Syanna would not be able to penetrate any more than this. She had to remember NOT to mention Yen and Philippa having magical ways of extending length once already being inside of Triss. She remembered many mornings where Triss was unable to move the next day, having Yen and Phil bring her food and the three of them giggling together in their giant bedroom.  
Ciri was snapped back into reality by Syanna picking up the pace, not going quite as fast, since Ciri’s tightness did provide some resistance against the phalluses gliding in and out at the speed Syanna seemed to want, but the sheer force alone was almost more than Ciri could handle. Her ass had never been stretched like this before, and she felt like the two dildos were completely ripping her insides and her holes apart. Ciri’s world was literally being torn apart, and her pleasure from the extreme stretching and feeling her lover want to just get deeper and deeper was just getting her closer and closer to cumming.  
But then, Syanna pressed the tip of the riding crop against Ciri’s clit and she could not hold on any longer as she came, screaming, twitching, writhing, arching, scratching at the bed beneath her, kicking her legs out, as she climaxed and convulsed around the massive phalluses in her pussy and her ass. She ripped her blindfold and looked at Syanna, who herself seemed honestly surprised as she withdrew the dildos and was immediately sprayed by Ciri squirting all over her stomach.  
‘Well I would punish you if I was not famished and exhausted myself,’ Syanna chuckled, making Ciri smile. Ciri loved seeing Syanna smile and loved even more when her master was pleased with her performance. Usually if Syanna found that if Ciri exploded enough from squirting, then Ciri could be forgiven for cumming too early. Syanna is such an animal, Ciri thought as she staggered up and was immediately embraced by her lover, who was kissing her and telling her what a good job she did.  
They both sat down to eat the meal that neither of them noticed the servants had placed in front of the fireplace while they were fucking. To Ciri’s ultimate pleasure, her chicken had not gone cold as she snuggled up next to Syanna, who was already starting in on the food. They both ate, so utterly content and mindless from fucking, happy to have been together everyday for the past two weeks.


	4. Trouble in Beauclair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No smut, but some attempt at plot. Smut coming back soon

When Ciri and Syanna were not fucking, eating, or sleeping (which would happen roughly once a week), they would stroll the palace grounds and venture out into Beauclair together, enjoying each other’s company outside the bedroom and visiting the local shops and markets. Syanna also had a surprising taste for art, as they always made a point to frequent the local paint and sculpture galleries.  
This particular warm Saturday afternoon was abuzz with the start of summer harvest, countless vendors setting up their carts that were bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables, and similarly the exquisite weather also provided the inspiration to the local artists who were setting up their pieces just across the square from the food vendors. Syanna and Ciri were in heaven, seeing both food and art coming together on a beautiful sunny afternoon, strolling hand in hand, feeding each other and taking in their surroundings. Ciri had begun to truly enjoy Syanna’s company, but still she felt that they were keeping things from each other and not comfortable being entirely vulnerable with each other just yet.  
As Ciri continued to pontificate, she released Syanna’s hand unconsciously as she saw the most gorgeous sword being put in the display window of Geralt’s favorite armory. She walked over and pressed her face against the glass, admiring the artistry and craftsmanship of the stunning steel sword lighting up the window. Ciri was just about to wander inside when she heard Syanna scream and collapse to the ground, surrounded by fog, bleeding out in the main square. People were screaming and running and panic ensued as people began frantically evacuating. Ciri pushed and shoved and teleported her way against the flow of people, throwing elbows and making her way as fast as she could to her lover who was bleeding and wounded on the ground. When she finally reached Syanna, Ciri had guessed she had lost several liters of blood as she began to press into Syanna’s huge wound, trying to hold constant pressure as blood leaked out of her entire front of her body while helping Syanna sit up to avoid choking on the blood coming from her mouth.  
Gods, Ciri thought, she knew that any help from the palace would take too long, she would have to take Syanna to the best healers she knew: Triss, Yennefer, and Philippa. Even though this would be a strict violation of her curfew and freedoms, she knew she had to act quickly as she started to glow and exercise her powers to transport the two of them back to Corvo Bianco.  
Ciri held Syanna tightly in her arms as they were transported into the Corvo Bianco courtyard, and as soon as Ciri felt her feet touch the ground, she took off towards the house, screaming for the sorceresses, who came running outside, messily trying to put their clothes on from fooling around, no doubt.  
‘Gods, Ciri what happened? Is that Syanna?’ Yen said as she ushered Ciri into the house, preparing a cot for her new patient. Triss and Phil were close behind, communicating telepathically no doubt as Triss went into the cupboards to pull out herbs and botanicals while Philippa went to the kitchen to fetch dressings and bandages. Yen set to work immediately, as aided by Triss. Glowing lights were flowing out of Yennefer’s hands as she began to work on an unconscious Syanna, who was completely bloodied and pale on the table, most of her insides exposed from the gashes. Triss was removing Syanna’s clothing carefully, exposing the wounds for closer examination and to allow for Yen’s magic to penetrate and cover the whole area. Then Triss set to work to make a poultice as Yen began to interrogate Ciri.  
‘You have to be as clear as possible when you answer these questions, because this will determine how we help Syanna. Do you know if these wounds are from a human? A steel blade? Silver? I am detecting poisons, a venom perhaps. What did you see around you when this happened? Did you detect any magical signatures?’  
‘Okay slow down please I am still in shock. I saw nothing, I didn’t see anyone or anything! I don’t know if it came from the sky or someone threw daggers or just slashed through her I have no idea. I couldn’t protect her and now she is dying and it is my fault,’ Ciri began to sob.  
Triss stopped her work to come next to Ciri and hold her and stroke her hair, ‘It isn’t your fault, Ciri, not at all, now try to remember because we still have a chance to help her, okay? Remember your training and tell us what you analyzed at the scene,’ Triss’s warm hands were running up and down Ciri’s back, comforting the shaking and crying witcher.  
‘I… I think I saw smoke, or fog, or dust, or clouds, just something foggy in the air around Syanna, and no human could have moved so quickly so that I would not have been able to sense them. Definitely nonhuman. Based on the smell and how long it lingered in the air it could have been a bruxa or vampire, and given we are in Beauclair, I suppose that is the most likely, since we are not near any swamps or foglet or water hag territory. No detection of spirits or wraiths either. So it must have been some kind of vampire,’ Ciri said, slowly gaining her nerve back.  
‘Yes this makes sense, especially with this one’s history…’ Yen started.  
‘What does that mean?’  
‘Geralt hasn’t told you?’  
‘Told me what?’  
‘Well I suppose technically he is bound by oath to the duchy to not reveal Syanna’s part in the Beast of Beauclair killings… Anna Henrietta was very specific about this to ensure Syanna’s protection that it never get released that she was to blame. But she was more concerned about angry mobs than vengeful bruxa.’  
‘Wait— wait Syanna’s part? What is that supposed to mean? Geralt caught the vampire; Regis said so,’ Ciri pressed.  
‘Yes… I am afraid it is a complicated little tale. I am surprised that neither Geralt nor your Syanna confessed this to you, dear Ciri. But we can discuss this later. For now, we are about to enter a crucial part in the healing, and I will need Triss and Philippa’s help, so please go back outside and don’t pay attention to any screams, okay? We have to reverse the venom’s effects and it may take a while and be painful, so be strong and don’t bother us for the next few hours.’  
Philippa got next to Yen and began to start helping as Triss held Ciri’s hand and took her outside, giving her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead, ‘It will be okay soon, alright Ciri? All will be explained when she is feeling better. But for now try to get far away from here because it will be hard for you to listen.’  
And with that, Triss gave her a quick shove out the door, and Ciri pressed her ear to the door, paying no mind to their warnings. She could hear Syanna starting to wake up, taking strained and scared and helpless breaths as she was undoubtedly shocked to wake up naked on a table with three sorceresses standing over her, her insides exposed, and then she started to scream as the treatment intensified. They were right, Ciri couldn’t handle it as she began pounding on the door, trying to get inside so she could comfort her Syanna, despite still feeling conflicted over what she was scared Syanna was hiding. But Ciri knew it was of no use, since the door was barricaded by magic that would ensure that no interruptions and thus no mistakes in treatment would be made. Hopefully with the work of the three most powerful sorceresses in all the land, Syanna would be back on her feet in no time. Ciri decided she needed to get away, far out of ear shot as she saddled up her mare and decided to go for a ride.  
Ciri was just about to ride away when a group of 20 knights and a hooded woman pulled up into the courtyard of Corvo Bianco. Before she even ripped her hood off, Ciri knew it would be Annarietta, who saw Ciri and jumped off her horse.  
‘WHERE IS MY SISTER? HOW DARE YOU LET HARM BEFALL HER? ARE YOU NOT GERALT OF RIVIA’S DAUGHTER? THE POWERFUL WITCHERESS WITH THE SPECIAL ABILITIES? AND YET YOU COULD NOT PROTECT SYANNA? WHAT HAPPENED AND WHERE IS SHE I DEMAND TO KNOW THIS INSTANT.’  
‘She’s inside. We were walking in the main square and I looked away for one second and a vampire or bruxa slashed her from her shoulders to her stomach. I had to bring her here because I knew it would have taken you too long. She is being treated now and the sorceresses cannot be disturbed so you will have to wait.’ Ciri was upset and still in shock, but she never, under any circumstances, would allow herself to be talked to in this way. She gritted her teeth as the tears continued to fall from her face; she had been unable to stop crying since seeing Syanna on the table, all pale and lifeless.  
‘Nonsense, this is my domain and I will see my sister and see to the treatment IMMEDIATELY.’  
Ciri was growing angry, but waited to see how Annarietta would manage against the magically barricaded door before dismounting her horse and trying to speak to the duchess in a more calm manner. Watching her beat against the door, screaming at the sorceresses inside, Ciri laughed at her, but also understood how she was feeling. Feeling a small thorn of empathy in her side, Ciri dismounted and held Annarietta’s arm back from striking the poor door once more.  
‘It is no use. We both failed her and now we have to rely on magic to help her,’ Ciri said, defeatedly.  
‘But how could this happen?’ Annarietta asked, genuinely this time, with tears in her eyes.  
‘I don’t know I don’t know. I don’t know what Syanna has to do with vampires or why they want vengeance on her, but all I know is that Syanna is in the hands of the most powerful healers in all the land and that will have to be enough. Let’s take a walk through the vineyard; we won’t have to listen from there.’  
And with that, Ciri took the duchess’s arm and led her to the back of Corvo Bianco, past the lush greenhouse, down to the vast expanse of grapevines that stretched on until the end of the property. As they strolled, Annarietta kept her hand on Ciri’s, only lifting a hand to wipe her tears away as they walked together, both of them in despair over Syanna’s fate, trying not to get angry with the other for how they both failed to prevent the tragedy.  
‘So… Ciri… are you and Syanna… together?’ Annarietta ventured cautiously, but curiously. Ciri guessed that still not much sharing took place between the sisters, and Ciri could see it weighing on Annarietta how much Syanna kept from her. Ciri could relate.  
‘Um I am not entirely certain. It seems as though there are certain things that Syanna has kept from me that would make me believe that we are not as intimate or close with one another that would qualify us as being together…’ Ciri said, her sadness betraying her in her voice as it started to shake.  
‘Hm, don’t be so hard on yourself. Syanna is… well she has reasons for being like that, let’s just say. I don’t want to share beyond what she would want me to, but I will just convey to you that if she has kept you around for this long, she likely cares about you quite a lot.’  
‘Or she is just using me for something.’  
‘Yes well she has been known for that I won’t deny that much. But I am assuming she does not even know about your special powers or understand what they mean if you have not explained them to her… I only know because Geralt invited Dandelion over one evening and you know how that goes… And she hasn’t asked me about you at all, so it has led me to think she feels somewhat… protective over you?’  
‘Hm I would really rather not overthink things. I just care for her very deeply and for now that is enough. I care for her and I get to see her everyday so I can’t say I have any complaints.’  
‘Well put, Ciri. And I apologize for being so accusatory earlier in the courtyard; I know that I too have failed Syanna many times previous and I get very emotional and defensive about her wellbeing.’  
‘I understand, Your Grace, and I apologize too for being so cold to you as well.’  
‘Now Ciri, no need for that. And call me Anna.’  
For the remainder of their walk, they did not make much conversation, just occasionally remarking if they saw something cute or beautiful, like the butterflies making their way through the vines, or an occasional bunny hopping along to snatch up the fallen grapes. Eventually they reached the end of Corvo Bianco, overlooking a small ravine with a stream running by, demarcating the end of Geralt’s estate. They walked down to the water, Ciri first, helping Annarietta down to the water. They both took their shoes off and sat on the bank of the stream, soaking their feet and leaning back against the steep ravine walls, which made for a natural backrest as they decompressed. Night was beginning to fall, and fireflies slowly began to light up in the tress above them. Stars began to light up through the branches, matching with the little lightning bugs, and the crickets started to chirp while a pleasant breeze began to pick up.  
They sat together for at least an hour, just calmly breathing and looking up at the sky, still remembering that even if during a time of such intense emotion they could be appreciative of the fact that they still had the privilege of being in Toussaint.  
‘Wait how will we know when they are finished?’ Annarietta asked.  
And just as she finished speaking, Ciri saw bright orange and green fireworks entering her field of view. She quickly stood and saw they were coming from the Corvo Bianco courtyard, clearly a signal from Triss that they had finished.  
‘Quick, put your shoes on and I will transport us there. I shan’t waste any time.’  
And with that, they both collected themselves and held onto each other as they transported back to Corvo Bianco. And for the second time that day, as soon as Ciri’s feet hit the ground she took off for the house to check on her Syanna.  
Before she could enter the threshold, Triss caught her in her arms and said ‘Slow down, Ciri, she is still very delicate. She is alive and awake, but barely so you need to be careful, okay?’  
Ciri couldn’t even respond and just nodded as she carefully stepped into the house, noticing that Yen and Phil were resting together in the master bedroom, no doubt exhausted from the miracle they had to orchestrate together. Ciri continued past them to the guest room, where she saw a small Syanna under the covers, still pale as ever, weakly opening her eyes and smiling when seeing Ciri. Ciri walked over slowly and began to climb into bed next to her, over the covers so as not to disrupt any bandaging that Yen and Phil had placed over Syanna’s now sensitive midsection.  
Neither Ciri or Syanna spoke as they just looked at each other, confirming with their eyes that the other was alive and well and that it was in fact real. Ciri kissed her tenderly on the cheek, then on her lips, silencing her and preventing her from trying to speak. The tears began to well up in Ciri’s eyes again as she felt how weak and feebly Syanna was kissing her back, barely able to move her face, but still trying nonetheless.  
They were quickly interrupted by Annarietta, who lacked Ciri’s blink teleportation abilities and was out of breath as she walked over to the two of them in bed. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and pushed Syanna’s baby hairs back behind her ear. Syanna smiled weakly and both Ciri and Annarietta exhaled a little and smiled back.  
‘Ciri, do you mind if I sleep here tonight as well? You and Syanna can share the bed and I will prepare a bed next to you. But please I want to be here too.’  
‘Of course, Anna, please stay. Let me get BB to set up your bed.’  
‘No, no need, please let him tend to the powerful mages who healed my sister. Let me do this. Now if you could just tell me where to find the blankets and bedding, and I will give you and Syanna a moment.’  
Ciri directed Annarietta to the linen room that was located at the back of the house, where servants would fold and store the bedding and laundry for the estate. After Anna had left, Ciri focused back on Syanna, who was now smiling a little and had a little bit more life back in her eyes since seeing Ciri and Anna. She puckered her lips for Ciri to kiss again, unable to lift her head, and Ciri obliged her by leaning down to kiss her softly, passionately, and intimately as the tears fell down her cheeks and onto Syanna’s. They kissed slowly and gently so as to let Syanna recover with every touch, Ciri careful not to engage or arouse her too much while she was in such a delicate state. Ciri kissed Syanna’s nose and pressed her forehead into Syanna’s surrendering to the tears that were now flowing steadily onto Syanna.  
Laughing sadly while she wiped her own tears off Syanna’s face, she apologized and snuggled her face into Syanna’s neck, reaching her arm around her and stretching out to lie next to her mistress. The two finally exhaled and allowed themselves to feel a small amount of relief, and they ended up falling asleep before Anna returned with her bedding.


	5. Annarietta's Tragedy

Ciri awoke the next morning, still tightly holding a sleeping Syanna, who was taking small, labored breaths. Ciri realized she needed to loosen her hold slightly, and was relieved to see Syanna taking bigger, more relaxed, though still quite weak inhalations. She pushed Syanna’s hair off of her forehead and planted a kiss when Annarietta came in, holding a tray of food.  
‘Good morning, Ciri… I um prepared breakfast for us all to share.’  
‘Anna what time did you wake up? This is a feast!’ Ciri exclaimed, looking at the massive assortment Anna was carrying: breads, cheeses, scrambled eggs, potatoes, fluffy hot cakes, and a smattering of different fruits. It smelled delicious, and Ciri was honestly surprised that Anna knew how to cook given that everything in her life had been served up to her on a silver platter.  
‘Yes I know what you are thinking… but Syanna and I used to sneak into the kitchen after our parents went to bed to have all the foods we were not allowed to eat. If we woke the chefs then our parents would find out so we had to learn how to fend for ourselves to remain undiscovered.’  
‘Not allowed to eat?’ Ciri was horrified by the notion.  
‘Hmm yes our parents did not allow us to eat desserts or cheeses, so as to maintain our womanly figures and that we may be marriage material to some prince down the line. Pretty much all fatty things were not allowed, seafood was considered too dangerous for the royal family, poultry was only served at feasts, pork was too fatty, the list goes on. We essentially were allowed to eat salads, beef from the palace cows (lean cuts only obviously), and other stupid nobility foods that paired well with Sangreal. Though to be fair Sangreal makes anything taste better.’  
‘It seems you both had a depressing childhood,’ Ciri said, feeling bad for Syanna’s rough circumstances but also understanding she had significantly more freedoms than Annarietta. The duchess laughed in response. This made Ciri finally take her focus off the food, and noticed that Anna was wearing servant clothes that she no doubt found mixed in with the other linens, a plain white cotton shirt, and brown field pants, an extremely casual look that she wore so nonchalantly, and made Ciri relax, knowing that the duchess could be stripped of her titles and nobility in order to care for her sister.  
At the sound of laughter, Syanna began to stir a little, opening her eyes to the sight of her lover and sister sharing a meal together at the foot of the bed.  
‘Anna what are you doing here?’ Syanna said, confused, ‘Why are you dressed like that?’  
‘Well hello to you too, sleepyhead. I am here to tend to you, dear sister. I can only apologize that I did not come sooner. You were exhausted last night so you probably don't remember me coming in and setting up next to you.’  
‘It’s okay… thank you for being here. Ciri can you help me sit up?’  
Ciri crawled over to Syanna to help her sit up in bed by sitting behind her and holding her from behind, allowing Syanna to lean back onto Ciri’s chest where she could be supported by her firm embrace and small kisses along her neck. Anna did her part and popped little pieces of bread and cheese into her mouth, along with the occasional grape and small potato. Eating noticeably made Syanna’s condition improve as her gaze was beginning to regain its normal intensity and she began to smile and speak more at a typical volume. But still Ciri could tell it was hard as Syanna would still shake and slump when Ciri was not holding onto her, which she didn’t mind at all, since they spent most of their time like this anyway, holding each other and kissing and eating.  
‘Ciri… I talked to Yennefer and BB, and I asked if Syanna and I could stay here while she recovers. They were enthusiastic about this idea, but I wanted to ask you before we make any plans to stay.’  
‘Anna of course! But we would not have the same luxuries and comforts of the palace… are you sure you would want to stay here?’  
‘It is alarmingly clear to me that we would be safer here, in a smaller estate, surrounded by witchers and sorceresses, than we would at a grand palace, surrounded by non magic wielding guards and stiff rules and regulations about courtly behavior. I should like to help my sister by cooking and cleaning and sleeping by her side, and I would not be able to do this anywhere else. If you really are certain we can stay, then I will send word that I will be absent from court for several months while we rehabilitate Syanna. In my stead I will appoint Damien, who knows how to run day to day operations.’  
‘Anna of course, please stay. I too would feel better having Syanna recovering here, next door to Yennefer, Triss, and Philippa. Additionally when Geralt returns from his hunting trip, he of course will offer added protection.’  
‘Ah yes I did notice that the lord of the estate was absent, but I am confident in your abilities as well, Ciri, even if I was angry when I first arrived. I trust you with Syanna, and I know that you were ultimately responsible for saving her life.’  
Syanna had her mouth full as this conversation was taking place, but simply nodded slowly at the things being said, and Ciri knew that Syanna would have preferred to stay here anyway since she always felt stifled at the palace. What was surprising was that Syanna seemed to agree with Anna staying at Corvo Bianco as well, since she spent most of her time at the palace avoiding her sister.  
‘Thank you Anna, I appreciate that, sister,’ Syanna said after finally swallowing her food. ‘It means a lot that you would give up so much responsibility to care for me.’  
‘Syanna don’t be ridiculous; you are family and you are the most important thing in the world to me.’  
Both of them started to develop tears in their eyes, and Ciri felt her heart swell for her lover, who was just yesterday so broken and close to death, and now very much clinging to life, repairing a relationship that had been almost as dead as she was yesterday.  
‘Then it is settled; the three of us will stay here and all improve our constitutions in the countryside, eating to our hearts content, and enjoying the arrival of summer. I heard from BB that this year’s harvest will be divine as well!’ Anna exclaimed, seeming genuinely excited to be able to care for here sister, and Ciri guessed also to get away from the responsibilities of court.  
‘This sounds lovely. Though I do have some unfinished business, but that can wait until Syanna is feeling a little better,’ Ciri said distantly, knowing that now that Syanna was going to be okay with time, she had to track down Syanna’s attacker and uncover whatever plot against her lover. Ciri also knew that she would have to wait until Syanna was stronger to press her for the truth of what happened and what part she had to play in the sinister plot against the duchy that Geralt had gotten so mixed up in all those years ago. But perhaps she would be able to ask Anna after Syanna went back to sleep. Thankfully, Ciri did not have to wait long as Syanna began to lean back into Ciri, letting a soft snore escape her lips as her full tummy had sent her into a pleasant after breakfast slumber. Ciri moved aside and set her down gently, tucking her in for a nap and helping Anna clear away the food so that Syanna could rest.  
Once they were in the kitchen cleaning up, Ciri had to ask.  
‘Anna… I need to track down whoever did this. And to do this, I need to know the truth of what happened. I know Syanna is too weak right now so you have to tell me the truth.’  
Anna placed the dishes in the sink and sighed. ‘This is a long story, Ciri. And I am afraid I cannot tell you everything, since only Syanna can tell you what was going through her head at the time. But I do owe you some explanation. Let’s go outside and sit.’  
They left the kitchen, bringing a carafe of wine and a bottle of water for Ciri, making their way to the cushioned wicker chairs that BB had set out under the big trees overlooking the vineyard in the back of the estate.  
‘I assume you know that there was a vampire terrorizing Beauclair some years ago…’ Anna started, and Ciri nodded. ‘Yes well, it turns out that this vampire was being blackmailed by an unknown rogue to execute gruesome murders of well known knights in Toussaint. Each murder was tied with the hypocrisy of a key chivalric virtue, and each knight was found in a more disgusting condition than the last. We asked Geralt to take the case on, suspecting something magical at play. So he came and unearthed an elaborate plot and case of blackmailing against the vampire committing the crimes. Someone had kidnapped his lover, Rhenawedd, and was pulling strings to force him to kill in order to protect her life. And while nobody could forgive his actions, I could sympathize with this… although my distinct lack of romance in life is another story. Anyway, Geralt’s solution was to free his lover, thereby relieving the vampire of his need to kill. And when Geralt had found and freed his lover, he discovered that his lover was none other than Syanna, pretending to be a woman named Rhenawedd, who did the blackmailing herself and called on the vampire to do her bidding, ultimately resulting in her almost taking my life.’  
Ciri was speechless. She knew that Syanna was conflicted, abused, mistreated, all of it. She knew that Syanna was dark and twisted and more, but what she did not expect was that Syanna would even turn against her own sister for the life that her parents could only be to blame for.  
‘I understand that you must feel uncomfortable with this, truly I understand. But I only ask that you not judge my sister too harshly, because she had every reason to feel the way she did. Though her actions are inexcusable, I cannot fault her for how she felt.’  
‘But how could you forgive the attempt on your life?’  
‘I know more than anyone that I failed Syanna. And I would have deserved it more than any of those knights, Ciri. And that weighs on me every single day.’  
‘Anna it wasn’t your fault either… I’m not sure who is to blame here.’  
‘I stopped asking myself that a long time ago. We were all to blame for how things turned out, but all that matters now is that Syanna has seemed to have softened. And though I know I could never ask for her forgiveness, nor her mine, I appreciate the effort she puts in to sit at my table and eat with me, and I in turn tried to extend her liberties where I could and spend time with her when I am not in court.’  
‘I still can’t believe this… and I don’t know if I can forgive her for keeping this from me.’  
‘I know, but in her defense I think she is so taken with you that she didn’t want you to see her at her worst so soon, not when she is scared you don’t feel the same.’  
‘Well she does not give me many indications that she feels as seriously as I do, not verbally anyway.’  
‘Understand that it is hard for Syanna to confess to caring, since every time she does that it is taken from her. The fact that she has stuck around with you for so long says it all. Trust me. For someone so damaged and hurt, this is sometimes the best they can do.’  
And with that, Ciri understood. If she really did love Syanna as much as she felt she did, she would have to accept and understand how she was trying her best. Trying to overcome her trauma and come to terms with her actions, while still trying to open herself up to love and a relationship with Ciri must have been weighing on her greatly. And not to mention the fact that she must have a huge target on her back, from both humans and nonhumans alike.  
‘Well… yes. Thank you for telling me all this, Anna. I appreciate it. And I think I should also warn you that um… the sorceresses like to get up to… things quite frequently, so if that makes you uncomfortable then it might be advised you wear ear plugs.’  
The duchess laughed and replied, ‘Ciri how old do you think I am? I am younger than Syanna but I am not a child. Whatever they do I am certain I can handle it.’  
‘Okay well don’t say I didn’t warn you once their strength returns.’  
‘Hm well when that happens perhaps I can join them, I need a release too you know.’  
Ciri’s eyes bugged out of her face a the thought of her mother figure(s?) and her lover’s sister all getting tangled up in each other, but also noted a distinct feeling of arousal at the thought. Ciri had once been with Triss, many moons ago, and had nothing but positive things to say about it. But now that Triss herself was a mother with Yennefer, it all was a little weird and Ciri tried her best not to think about it. But it also helped that she slept in the barn most of the time, unable to hear Triss moaning through the bedroom walls. But regardless, it would be another weird thing to add Annarietta to the mix.  
‘Was being with women another thing that your parents forbade?’  
‘Ah yes that more than anything else.’  
‘I’m sorry. That must have been hard.’  
‘It’s alright. But that is another reason why I want to protect your relationship with my sister as much as possible since I really owe her actually.’  
‘Oh?’  
‘Yes… Syanna was sent away as a teenager, and I must have been around 15 at the time. But one night we snuck away to attend a soiree at the Mandragora, a fancy house of artists and sex and the like. As was tradition, we both donned masks and entered the party, completely anonymously. And while we were there, incognito, we felt a completely new sense of freedom, being able to abandon our court personalities and sensibilities in order to engage in activities for pleasure, sex being one of the most forbidden things for us…’ 

*****  
As soon as they were admitted into the soiree, Syanna was immediately fawned over by a horde of women, since she was always able to flaunt her dark and mysteriousness, not even five minutes after their arrival she had stolen away to one of the alcoves with five women giggling after her. Anna didn’t follow, but guessed as to what she spent the next hour doing. Anna was much more shy, and took to first eating the forbidden foods that were out on tables in enormous quantities. Then dabbled in various shows and artists that were offering demonstrations and whatnot. But then her entire world fell away as her attentions were centered on the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Even through her mask she could see her radiance, her poise, her figure being hugged by the sheer dress she wore, revealing flawless, olive tanned skin that made Anna’s breath shorten as she looked up and down at the woman in the center of the vast courtyard, right in front of the gigantic fountain. In her hair was a Koviri orchid, a light cream color that contrasted with the deep chestnut brown of this woman’s mane. Oh gods, Anna thought to herself, dear gods this woman. She set everything down on the nearest table and went to this woman. As soon as she was an arms distance away, about to say something, anything to get her attention, Anna’s world fell away again as she opened her mouth and started to sing.  
What Anna heard next was the most angelic, beautiful, sensual, and sultry voice she had ever heard. That had to be none other than Cecilia Bellante, the most famous singer in all of Toussaint, Anna thought. She first heard of the young upstart when she heard her father murmuring something about her to some of the men in his study, something about how she was perfect last time, young and fresh, and other disgusting obscenities she was so used to tuning out from her father. And here she was, and as disgusting as her father was, she almost couldn’t help but agree that Cecilia was so ravishing and so full of youth and vibrance that Anna felt guilty over the things she was feeling for such a woman. After all, Anna really only barely considered herself a woman, being only 15 and always being made to do things, never allowed to think for herself. But looking at Cecilia here, though she herself could not be more than a few years older, was so much more of a woman than Anna, with her full hourglass figure, sensual sways of her body and the deep, velvety voice that come from her mouth. Anna was completely enraptured by her performance, so enamored with everything about her, that as soon as she finished, Anna ran up to her to try to speak to her.  
‘Please forgive the intrusion, but I have to tell you you are the most beautiful and talented woman in all Toussiant. All the world!’ Anna gushed.  
‘My my… aren’t you sweet,’ Cecilia laughed as she put her arm around Anna, ‘Thank you, sweet one. What did you like about the performance?’  
‘Everything. Everything. You are complete radiance and your voice is that of another world. My entire world fell away watching you, that was just amazing.’  
‘Haha slow down, little one, I might think you were coming on to me if not for you being so young.’  
Anna realized how pathetic she must have sounded and immediately closed her mouth and looked down in shame. But Cecilia picked her chin up in her hand and planted a soft, wet kiss on her cheek. ‘I don’t mind you coming on to me, but please tell me you are not more than two years younger than me…’  
Anna quickly lied ‘I am 17 I assure you. Just a late bloomer.’  
‘Ah great fortune only a year younger than me! Come with me, and let’s stop by the food tables to grab a bottle of wine hm?’  
Cecilia grabbed Anna’s hand, which made her gasp and blush as she was being led by the older girl across the courtyard to the food to grab the wine, and then to a private alcove up the stairs looking out over the courtyard. Ha, Anna thought to herself, quality over quantity since Syanna may have had five girls in one of the lower alcoves, I will have the finest lady of all in a private alcove above everyone else.  
Anna was feeling cocky at this, but extremely nervous in all other aspects. This would be the first time she had ever had sex with a woman, or at all as a matter of fact. Kissing the other girls of nobility in the backrooms during a long, boring feast was one thing, but this was something else entirely. Anna was shaking and her hands were completely cold, as she timidly followed Cecilia into the alcove, parting the sheer curtains and being led into a cozy, room with a huge bed on the ground, surrounded by pillows and candles that were lit all along the walls on the ground.  
‘Shall I pour the wine, sweet one?’ Cecilia said, her back turned to a nervous Annarietta.  
‘Y—Yes please,’ Anna stuttered back.  
‘Hm a little nervous? First time?’ Cecilia still looked down at the wine.  
’N—No, I have been with plenty others, just none as beautiful or radiant as you,’ Anna tried to recover.  
‘Haha smooth still, even though you seem to be shaking like a leaf, little one,’ Cecilia finally turned back around, sensually taking a sip of wine into her mouth while offering Anna a glass with her other hand. ‘Do you wish to leave?’  
With that, Anna was tired of being looked at like a little girl. She wanted Cecilia, there was no question about it. She walked over and planted a kiss with her cold, shaking lips on Cecilia’s as Cecilia giggled a low and sultry moan into Anna’s mouth as she began to undo Anna’s hair so she could rake her fingers through the young duchess’s long dirty blonde locks.  
‘So pretty,’ Cecilia moaned into Anna’s ear as she began to kiss along the side of her neck, taking Anna into a firmer embrace, squeezing her tightly against her. Anna instinctually mirrored what Cecilia did, letting down the older woman’s hair and holding her back just as tightly as she felt Cecilia’s warm mouth kissing and sucking on her sensitive skin that nobody had ever touched before this way. Cecilia slowly started to undo Anna’s dress, unbuttoning every single button in the ridiculous line of buttons that fastened Anna’s dress in the back that stretched from her hips to the base of her neck. She was going so slowly, kissing Anna’s neck and collarbone and shoulder all the while, as Anna started moaning and feeling the warmth returning to her body. She was turning more flush with arousal with every pop of a button, and eventually, Cecilia reached the top, now the only thing holding Anna’s dress up was how tightly they were embraced. Cecilia peeled herself away from Anna to allow the dress to fall to her ankles, leaving Anna completely stark naked in front of the singer.  
‘No undergarments…? How can someone that shows up to the Mandragora wearing nothing underneath her dress be so nervous?’ Cecilia whispered into Anna’s ear while biting her cartilage and sticking her tongue into her ear. Anna moaned and shivered as Cecilia began to again wrap her arms around her.  
‘I guess I was hoping to see you, but now that I have met you you seem to have completely exceed my expectations,’ Anna managed to get out, breathlessly as she felt her pleasure spike as Cecilia bit down on her pulse point, sucking and biting the tender flesh. She started to undo Cecilia’s dress, her fingers regaining some warmth and feeling increasingly more sure of herself. Thankfully Cecilia’s dress was just loosely tied together in the back, so simply undoing the already loose bow liberated Cecilia from her dress as soon as Anna pulled away to let the singer’s dress fall. In a dress, Cecilia’s body was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, but before her, naked, vulnerable but proud, Cecilia was truly divine. Anna was melting, and her desire was exploding in her pleasure as she looked at the flawless woman in front of her.  
Cecilia gave a sultry half smile and reached out to grab Anna’s hand and lead her to the bed. Anna wanted to worship her, but Cecilia had other plans as she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Anna into her arms, still standing, as Cecilia kissed her stomach, dipping her tongue in Anna’s navel, grabbing her ass possessively, whispering and muttering about how beautiful the young duchess looked with under the moonlight pouring through the alcove’s clear skylight in the ceiling. Anna took Cecilia’s head in her hands, tenderly stroking her hair as she kissed her way around Anna’s midsection. Eventually Anna couldn’t take it any longer and pushed Cecilia back onto the bed, mounting her and kissing her again, relishing the feeling of their lips finally being on each other’s again.  
Anna couldn’t get enough of her lips, her tongue, even her teeth as Cecilia would peel away to occasionally bite Anna on her bottom lip. It was torturous how neither would move to touch the other’s sex, both of them biding their time and pouring their hearts and souls into just kissing and letting go. Anna had so much to release, all of the forbidden feelings towards women, all of the forbidden activities of pleasure for its own sake, all of the hidden desires she had ever had were being released in this moment, into the lovely and talented and perfect Cecilia Bellante. What a gift, Anna thought, what a marvelous gift to be here with her, reveling in her gift and her beauty. Finally, Anna made the slightest motion down to kiss all over Cecilia’s breasts, savoring how her taut nipples felt on her tongue and between her teeth, letting her hands explore the singer’s body ahead of her mouth, feeling ever so lightly above Cecilia’s sex, noticing how wet the singer was and how Anna was feeling the same slickness forming between her own thighs.  
But such a moment could not be savored for Cecilia immediately threw Anna on her back and wasted no time in getting her head between Anna’s legs and into her pussy. Parting Anna’s lips apart and drinking her juices, Anna was shocked into orgasm already, screaming as Cecilia was expertly licking around Anna’s clitoris. Anna, feeling everything for the first time, could not hold on for long as she grabbed Cecilia’s hair and tumbled into her first ever orgasm, being surprised at how much tension was released as her body shook and she began to squirt. Cecilia kept going, and Anna felt a second release coming and coming again, until the singer finally came up for air, wiping the cum off her chin, smiling and returning to kiss the young duchess. Anna wanted to do the same, but Cecilia prevented her from parting their lips and breaking off their kiss, thus Anna returned the favor and pinned her to the bed, still keeping her mouth on Cecilia’s and began to enter her slit with her fingers. Cecilia’s moans made Anna shiver with pleasure as she felt her pride swell again for bedding this amazing woman and making her feel such pleasure. Then it was Cecilia’s turn to climax as she grabbed Anna’s arm tightly and moaned into her mouth, still not breaking their kiss as Anna felt the singer’s pussy pulsate around her fingers, producing more cum than even Anna had.  
They were both in supreme ecstasy, and both of them realized they still were wearing their Mandragora masks. Giggling, Anna pushed Cecilia’s off, revealing the rest of the singer’s flawless face, high cheekbones, and a thick, mature brow above her piercing blue eyes. When it was Anna’s turn, Cecilia had just peeled off Anna’s mask to reveal the duchess, which forced a gasp to escape Cecilia’s lips as the sounds of screams erupted from the courtyard.  
Cecilia quickly leapt up, with Anna close behind, both of them hastily putting their clothes back on as they looked down into the courtyard to see palace guards dragging Syanna out of her alcove, naked, by her hair, the women she was with were knocked out on the ground.  
The guard holding Syanna’s head yelled out, ‘WHERE IS THE OTHER SISTER. WHERE IS THE DUCHESS?’  
Syanna, bloodied, but still awake screamed, ‘PLEASE I CAME ALONE SHE IS NOT HERE. I SWEAR TO YOU SHE IS NOT HERE.’  
‘We know she left the palace with you, you whoring cunt, now tell us where she is. Your father will have your head for this betrayal… Anna Henrietta would have no exposure to this disgusting whorish life if not for you. NOW TELL US WHERE SHE IS OR SO HELP ME I WILL PUMMEL YOU TO THE GROUND YOU BITCH.’  
Syanna didn’t respond and simply spit in the guards face. Anna, panicking, kissed Cecilia with tears in her eyes and apologized for everything. Cecilia kissed her back hesitantly, not knowing what to do or how to feel, but Anna knew she needed to help Syanna. She ran down the stairs to stop anything from happening, but it was too late. The guards had taken their turns beating on the naked Syanna, and when Anna finally appeared, they simply grabbed her by the arms and escorted her into the carriage waiting outside, while one guard threw the unconscious Syanna over his shoulder and threw her on the back of his horse. Anna was writhing in protest, tears streaking down her face as she watched her naked, bloodied, unconscious sister being treated like an animal, and when they finally got back to the palace, the guards threw Syanna down in the middle of the palace grounds where their father was waiting, and two guards escorted Anna upstairs. Anna was scared for Syanna, who was already on the verge of either getting exiled or executed, but the guards kept their firm grip on Anna’s arms, despite all her screaming and thrashing. They practically carried her to her room and locked her inside, and from Anna’s tall window, she could not see what they were doing to Syanna outside, and Anna eventually fell asleep at her window, tired from straining to see, the trauma she had just experienced, and her first sexual experience. All of it would be forever bound in blood, she thought. She would never indulge herself like this again. She would never look at another woman again. And she would never ever put Syanna at risk again.  
***** 

Ciri was crying as she listened to Annarietta’s story. She and Syanna had both endured so much it was all too much for Ciri to bear. Anna concluded by saying ‘The next morning when I woke up, Syanna was gone, her room was completely empty, and I never saw her again and everyone acted like she never existed. I died that morning. I locked myself in my room for the next year after that, refusing to get out of bed and barely eating or sleeping. And I never saw Cecilia either, until that one night Geralt and I had to return to the Mandragora to attempt to catch the vampire’s blackmailer, who turned out to be working for Syanna, and ended up murdering Cecilia. I had arrived just in time to see her throat slit as she lay on the ground of the very same alcove she shared with me. Haha life is funny, huh?’ Anna was wiping her own tears away as she laughed at her tragedy. Ciri hugged her and cried into her shoulder, and Anna hugged her back, crying, sobbing, ‘I know it is my fault Syanna went away. They always blamed her for my misdeeds and my attraction to women, all of it. So I know I am responsible for her protection and wellbeing.’  
‘No Anna how could that be your fault? You deserve happiness too, Anna. You really do. You have endured so much.’  
‘Thank you, Ciri, but for now I am happy enough that Syanna is safe,’ Anna replied before getting up to stretch her legs. ‘Enough crying, gods that was ages ago. Come, let’s prepare lunch for Syanna, no doubt she will be hungry when she wakes up.’  
And with that, the Duchess of Toussaint shook off all of her pain and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch for her sister, Ciri tagging along close behind.


	6. What happened in Hauteville

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: some violent themes discussed here, as well as mentions of assault. So obviously no smut this chapter, but coming back soon.

For the next week, as Syanna was trying her best to recover, life was exceedingly quaint and regular for the trio. In the few hours Syanna would be awake in the mornings and then again in the afternoons, Ciri and Anna would devote all of their time to doting on her, keeping her clean, well fed, and entertained; in this time, while her condition was so critical, it was imperative that Ciri and Anna spend every waking second tending to Syanna. While she napped, Ciri and Anna took to cleaning and talking about their lives and the two of them started to develop a very close friendship, bonding over both their love for Syanna and their own personal strifes.   
As Syanna slowly got stronger and could start to raise her arms to feed herself and sit up by herself, Ciri and Anna felt better about giving her some time to be alone, which she would ask for in the mornings. Ciri could sympathize that Syanna wanted to be able to take care of herself again, since she had spent so much of her life learning to appreciate being on her own and fending for herself. Ciri and Anna would give Syanna her tray of food, and let her eat and take some time for herself.   
One morning, during one of these moments, Ciri decided she would set out in pursuit of information on Syanna’s attacker.   
‘Anna, will you be okay for the next few hours while I set out?’ Ciri asked Anna, who was in the kitchen finishing up a snack.   
‘What? Where are you going?’  
‘Out. I need some things.’  
‘…Why are you being so vague? What is going on?’  
‘I need to collect information. I have to figure out who attacked Syanna.’  
‘Why didn’t you just say so? I want to come.’  
‘That is precisely why I didn’t say so. It is too dangerous, Anna, these vampires are clearly not friends of the duchy and you are too valuable. You cannot come. I cannot take on the burden of having to worry about you.’  
‘You do not have a choice in this, Ciri. I am coming. I will dress incognito, so as to not be recognized, and we will set off together at once. Syanna is due for a nap after she eats anyway, so she will be fine while we are out.’  
‘I knew, and yet I still said it… Damn it,’ Ciri muttered under her breath. ‘Okay fine, dress casual, and prepare to mount up. Geralt told me of a vampire we could go visit to get some information.’  
‘Another vampire? In Toussaint?!’  
‘Haha higher vampires can be anywhere… there would be no way for you to tell unless they were sucking your blood.’  
‘Well that is quite alarming, Ciri, thank you.’  
‘No that’s not what I mean they aren’t all like that. I know some I consider family. Now come on, don’t get all timid on me now.’  
And with that, they set off to the stables to mount up and hit the road.  
‘Geralt gave me some quick directions this morning, but he was also pretty out of it since coming home from his hunt last night. Whenever he comes back home Yennefer always has a big… night planned for him…’  
‘Yes I think everyone in Toussaint could hear that playing out,’ Anna laughed. Ciri laughed too, somewhat appreciating the normalcy of what it was like to be embarrassed of one’s parents.   
‘Well in any case, he did seem to prove helpful. This vampire in town likely has some intuitions as to what happened,’ Ciri replied more seriously.  
‘Hm very well. Lead on, Ciri.’  
And with that, they galloped away, almost racing each other into Beauclair, Anna beating Ciri by only a hair.  
‘I thought I was going to lead?’ Ciri asked, out of breath.  
‘Well you would have been able to, had you been faster.’  
‘Okay well now I shall lead us, if you please, Anna.’  
‘Fine, fine, lead away.’  
‘Thank you. Geralt said it would be a grand mansion in Hauteville, and it would be the biggest building around.’  
‘Oh gods…’ Anna said, a look of panic creeping into her eyes.  
‘What is it?’  
‘I think Geralt is instructing us to talk to Orianna… and I suppose it is not altogether surprising she is a vampire. And it would explain why I always felt so uneasy around her.’  
‘Yes! That was her name. How do you know her?’  
Anna was turning paler by the second, clearly losing her nerve.   
‘Anna? Are you okay?’  
‘Um yes… Orianna runs… the Mandragora…’  
‘Oh no… Anna, I can handle this myself, don’t do this to yourself. Please, Anna, just go back to Corvo Bianco you don’t need to do this if it is too painful.’  
‘No, no. This is for Syanna and if it is meant to play out here, then I suppose it is just poetic justice after all these years,’ Anna said, regaining her pride and composure.   
Ciri didn’t know what to say as they proceeded to ride, coming upon the grandest mansion (aside from the palace) that she had ever seen. Though large and impressive, Ciri noticed it was somewhat… deserted? The grounds were not well kept, and nobody was at the front entrance as they rode all the way to the doors on their horses. Dismounting, Ciri knocked on the door, and waited for a response. Nothing.  
‘Hm… I am not sure what to make of this. It would seem nobody is home?’ Ciri was confused as to how such a grand estate could be totally abandoned.   
Anna replied, ‘We should enter from the back, like the people attending the soirees do.’  
Anna led Ciri around to the back, entering through the gate that led into the vast courtyard in the back of the estate. Ciri was shocked as to the state of what should have been a beautiful and palatial courtyard, which was now covered in dirt, dead plants, even the occasional scurrying rat. Overgrown vines grew over the columns and railings of the overlooking balcony, and it truly seemed as though the place had been abandoned for quite some time.   
‘Gods, what happened here?’ Anna was in shock over the state of what must have once been an impressive venue for the largest and most lavish parties in all of Toussaint. ‘Orianna’s room is upstairs, Ciri. Let’s go there first.’  
Anna led Ciri across the courtyard, over the landfill that now occupied the vast space, to the stairs that Ciri guessed were the very same Anna had ran down all those years ago to try to save her sister.   
Orianna’s room was a mess. There was blood splattered all over the walls and smeared all over the floor. It smelled disgusting, like many things had died and been sloppily cleaned. Though there was blood everywhere, Ciri could detect a trail of sorts leading outside of the room, further into the house.  
‘All the other blood looks as though it is from other animals, but this blood, leading out the door, this is noticeably human.’   
‘Ugh Ciri this is disgusting. Do vampires really live like this?’  
‘Hardly… most are quite meticulous and neat; their extra sharp senses are very easily overloaded with stimulus so they have to keep their surroundings quite minimal and clean. This must have been a lesser vampire. Decidedly not Orianna. Come let’s see where the human trail takes us.’  
Anna and Ciri were carefully stepping over the dried blood, but there was so much that it produced a somewhat clay-like consistency as it was caked literally all over the floor. The trail led all the way down a grand staircase, further down into the foyer of the front entrance, down into a side corridor before descending down a dark staircase.  
‘Oh gods, Ciri of course it goes down into the wine cellar.’  
‘I know, stay behind me, alright?’ Ciri brandished her sword and used Igni to light a torch for Anna to hold onto. Descending slowly and carefully, the two of them held each other’s hands, being mindful not to slip on the blood as they proceeded into the cool darkness of the wine cellar.  
Once they had reached the bottom, Ciri’s senses detected activity.  
‘WHOEVER IS HERE ANSWER. TELL ME WHERE ORIANNA IS.’  
Anna wielded her torch in a circle to try to shed light on the dark vastness of what was likely the biggest private collection of wine outside the palace. Ciri was using her ears to follow movement, slightly hoping that what they would encounter was just a nest of rats. Following both the sounds and blood, Ciri finally saw movements in the dark. She immediately ripped the torch from Anna’s hands and followed what she saw, Anna following close behind.   
Ciri saw whatever it was and thrust both the torch and sword at the shadows.  
‘MERCY MERCY!!!’   
Ciri and Anna were looking down at a shriveled, horrible looking woman, wearing tattered clothes and stinking of rotten flesh and blood. Dirt and grime were caked into her face and hair, offering up no distinguishing features, making her virtually no different from the other lifeless bodies that stood piled up in the corner. She was crouched over several dead rats, sucking their carcasses clean of their blood. Behind her, Ciri saw a huge stack of bodies of all sorts, humans, nonhumans, animals. Anna clung to Ciri’s side as they tried to talk to the person on the ground.  
‘Who are you? Are you Orianna?’ Ciri asked.  
‘Where is Orianna?’ Anna asked, peeking out from Ciri’s shoulder.   
From behind them, a voice suddenly spoke, ‘Why on Earth would you be looking for me? And how dare you mistake me for this disgusting creature?’   
Orianna was holding a torch of her own, illuminating a ghost like complexion with red hair, and sharp, menacing teeth. She looked as if she had walked out of a stiff painting, with her dress barely moving and completely free of wrinkles.   
‘Orianna, what happened here?’ Anna pressed.  
‘Ah your highness and you must be Geralt’s ward. Welcome. Ignore the creature. She once was my maid but has since… lost her humanity.’  
‘What the fuck?’ Ciri was confused and running thin on patience. ‘Orianna, you tell us right now what happened here and who is responsible for the attacks on Syanna.’  
‘Well which is it: do you want to know what happened here or who attacked Syanna?’  
‘Well Syanna… but also…’ Ciri was looking at the sorry creature on the ground, trying literally to suck the last drop of blood from those rats. Anna did her best not to look and kept her face focused on Orianna.   
‘Well I suppose there is time for both. Come. Let’s get out of this basement and we can take a stroll in my courtyard. Girl, grab us a bottle of wine,’ she said, looking at the maid, who could barely sit up on her own, let alone stand or hold a bottle of wine. ‘Ugh disgusting,’ she said, turning away from the mess of bodies in her wine cellar.  
The three of them turned to leave the cellar, and they made their way out of the dark and up the stairs back into the dirty and bloodied foyer.   
‘Geralt had come to me, asking for my assistance in summoning Detlaff,’ Orianna began to explain, ‘I was hesitant to help him, but it was convenient to have him around to kill off the lesser vampires that were attacking my orphanage. When Geralt had seen me drinking from the children, he tried to kill me, and he did, but as I am sure you know, only another vampire can kill another vampire. He tried his best, and he hacked me up to pieces, but he eventually knew I would regenerate. But he was running out of time anyway, and had to leave me. And though I was regenerating, even as he was tearing me apart, he still left me a chopped up mess on the ground, completely useless, for as soon as Geralt left, lesser vampires, drawn in by the sweet smell of my children’s blood, descended on the orphanage and ate all the children as I lay in pieces on the ground. The sounds of my children dying as they gulped their last breaths, terrified from the monsters at their necks and facing out the end of their existence haunted me.  
It killed me. And though I used them for their blood, I felt like they were the last piece of my humanity. And with them slaughtered, I was broken and I felt any good left in the world die with them. I was crushed. It might have been unethical from the narrow minded perspective of your father, Cirilla, but those children had real prospects but no means; I took them off the streets, clothed them, fed them, even paid to educate them. They were on their way to leaving the orphanage and becoming greater than their humble beginnings, but your father thought they were better off dead or impoverished than being in the care of a vampire…’ Orianna paused to wipe a tear. Ciri could not tell if this was genuine, but she continued to hear Orianna out.  
‘Well anyway. After my orphanage was slaughtered, I was left alone on the ground. It took me at least a day to completely regenerate, and when I finally emerged, I saw a Beauclair I did not recognize. The lesser vampires had razed the town into the ground. Blood literally ran through the streets and what was not on fire was soaked by mutilated flesh. I had seen what the vampires did and what they were capable of, and never in my life had I hated more what I was. I was ashamed. And infuriated that your father had rendered me useless against such an attack on Beauclair, a town that had taken me in and accepted me, and place where I could hold the Mandragora and celebrate humanity, art, culture, sophistication, passion, all of the things that humans cherish as they face the unknown of their own mortality. All of the things that make life so sweet before the end. I was completely broken. And angry.  
I knew that Geralt would have the protection of the duchy and there would be no point in killing him anyway, despite what he did to me, since he was still going after Detlaff, a position I did not envy. So I took it upon myself to end the existence of every single lesser vampire in all of Beauclair. Yes, your father was credited for killing Detlaff. But nobody knows that it was in fact because of another vampire that Beauclair would be safe once more. Detlaff never would have called off the vampires because he couldn’t handle that Syanna had deceived him, that Syanna didn’t love him. He would not have been able to call them off because more than being betrayed and played for a fool, he was heartbroken. He was prepared to see this entire city burn with him for what she did. And I had my own reasons, but I could not see another vampire kill another person. I just couldn’t. So I ended it all. All your knight in shining armor had to do was render Detlaff useless enough for another vampire to kill him for good.   
But I am not bitter about this. After all what good is some medal to a powerful being like me. I wanted to kill them for my own reasons, and it made me feel better to do so. But word got back to the Unseen, presumably one or two bruxa that I had missed during my sweep of the city, that I was killing vampires. And I was forced to make an appearance and answer for my crimes. In return for my life, I was offered peace with the Unseen and the remaining vampires in Toussaint if I brought him the head of Syanna, the very root of it all.   
But your Syanna was protected, and you were smart to never let her leave the castle. I admit I was never very enthused by the idea of having to invade the palace, so I told the Unseen that I would bide my time and wait for Syanna to be allowed to re-enter society again to make my move. Not wanting anymore bad exposure of vampires, he agreed, thinking that laying low for a while would ensure our protection. And for at least a few years, I had peace. I rebuilt my estate once more, and even tried holding a few soirees; I was never able to get back the magic of what it once was, especially since the artists of Toussaint had virtually all been slain in the attacks, but at least things started to feel normal once more.   
But then, when the duchess supposed that enough time had passed for us all to forget, she let Syanna out again. And the bruxa that were lying in wait came to alert me of her presence again, giving me an opportunity to right myself in the eyes of the vampires. But I refused. I killed the messenger they sent me, and warned them that if they approached me I would kill them too. And that night, when I was holding the first official Mandragora since the attacks, a horde of lesser vampires descended on my party, killing everyone present. I chose to defend my guests, which put my identity at risk, but I was already too late. There were too many and they leveled the courtyard with their thirst for vengeance against me. They left me alive to witness their destruction, and informed me that I was no longer needed to carry out the plot against Syanna.   
And judging by your presence here, I suppose they succeeded. And I am sorry, Anna. Genuinely. I am sorry. For all vampires. I am sorry for what has become of Beauclair and Toussaint. I did what I could. But it could never be enough,’ Orianna finished, wiping tears from her eyes, turning away from Ciri and Anna.   
‘Orianna?’ Anna reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, ‘It wasn’t your fault. Syanna is alive, Ciri saved her. And I thank you for how you protected your duchy.’  
‘Ha. My duchy…’ Orianna chortled through her tears.  
‘Yes. Your duchy. You have been here longer than any of us, and you are a celebrated facet of culture in these lands. You are your Mandragora and all of Hauteville and all that is sophisticated and beautiful in Toussaint. And you are your children. Your orphanage was just a building, but your humanity, that will always be apart of you.’  
Orianna turned around and hugged Anna, burying her face in her shoulder as Anna held her while she cried.   
‘I owe you many thanks, Orianna. I never told you this, but your Mandragora was the only place I ever experienced true happiness,’ Anna said, while tears were forming in her own eyes.  
‘Oh?’ Orianna said, looking up.  
‘Yes haha all those years ago. That is where I met my first and only love.’  
‘My goodness yes I remember all those years ago when my Mandragora was shut down by the palace guards… yes that’s right. I was sorry to see that happen to you and your sister,’ Orianna replied. ‘Your father was always a right cunt robbing you girls of your pleasure despite paying for my dear Cecilia every night and beating her senseless as he and his friends all took turns with her.’  
‘He what…?’ Anna said, now unable to control the heaving sobs that were coming.   
‘Oh gods I should not have said that. I just mean that your father was a severely hypocritical man, and it was not right for him to have so much control over you girls,’ Orianna tried to recover.  
‘No… about…about Cecilia?’ Anna was starting to shake and her knees buckled as she collapsed on the ground.  
‘Dear girl…’ Orianna said as she joined Anna on the ground. ‘There are some things you do not need to know. You would be better off not knowing.’  
‘Please just tell me,’ Anna said, planting her hands firmly into the ground to hold herself up as she cried.  
‘Well… your father loved Cecilia. Well not loved, but frequently purchased her… services. And every night I would watch that girl get picked up in a carriage to be taken off to the palace for a night of torture, beating, drinking, and being treated like an animal and a toy, all because your father loved to take advantage of poor young girls; she was under threat of treason and execution to show up, every single night.   
And he also did frequent the Mandragora himself… in fact your father only knew that you two were at the soiree because he himself was there… he always showed up to force Cecilia into an alcove before her performances because he said that as the king, he should be the first to lay eyes on her at the soiree. But when he saw you two enter the courtyard (your masks really did not do a well enough job of disguising you both), he immediately snuck out and rode back to the palace to send his guards here and then cast Syanna out for good.’  
At this point, Anna was screaming into the ground, crying and sobbing for her Cecilia, for all of the pain she suffered at the hands of her father, for the hypocrisy of it all, for everything. She just cried and shook as her pain consumed her, right there on the dirty floor of Orianna’s ruined estate. Both of them fully aware of all they had lost at the hands of reckless, insecure men, both human and nonhuman alike.  
‘My Cecilia… ruined and beaten by my own father…’ Anna was pulling her hair out as she writhed on the ground. Ciri grabbed Anna’s hands and sat her up, holding her as she cried.   
‘Orianna, what became Cecilia after she passed?’  
‘Hm well this is complicated,’ Orianna replied distantly.  
‘Tell us where she is buried, so that we may pay our respects,’ Ciri said firmly.  
‘There is no need for that child. You met her downstairs,’ Orianna said guiltily and mournfully. ‘I could not handle losing my star and the pride and joy of my Mandragora, so I revived her by turning her into a vampire, thinking that if she could still sing and bring her joy into the estate that the Mandragora could live on, despite it all. But it was too late. The bloodlust that was left in the air after the attacks proved too much for a new, young vampire to bear and she turned feral. So I have been taking care of her and feeding her from the basement, but lately I don’t even know if there is a point anymore. She lived such a tragic and painful life; I realized too late that it was no mercy to bring her back to life. But all the same I cannot bring myself to kill her and end it all for good…’  
Anna got up, fire in her eyes, burning a hole in Orianna. ‘HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER? YOU COULD NOT FINALLY LET HER HAVE SOME PEACE? YOU MADE HER INTO THAT DISGUSTING CREATURE WE SAW IN THE BASEMENT?’  
‘Anna, please, I understand you are upset, but I thought that what Cecilia never got in life from being human, I thought she could if she were a vampire. It would make her more impervious to pain, she would be able to overpower any attacker, I thought it would have been better to give her a chance to live again. You humans live for mere seconds before your time is up; I thought that Cecilia deserved better from life so I sought to give it to her.’  
Anna softened at this, somewhat agreeing with the logic. But Ciri could tell she was still so confused and raw with emotion.   
‘May we go see her again?’  
‘Of course, but be careful. She is getting dangerously close to feeding time,’ Orianna cautioned.  
‘Ciri you’ll come and protect me if it comes to that?’  
‘Of course, Anna. Let’s go down into the cellar again.’  
‘But wait now, Anna. Why do you care so much about Cecilia?’ Orianna pressed.  
‘It was Cecilia that Anna was with that fateful night,’ Ciri replied, knowing it would be hard for Anna to speak on it.  
Orianna’s face betrayed her shock and misbelief, but Ciri and Anna ignored it as they began to descend into the cellar once more, now determined and unafraid of what dwelled there. They found Cecilia curled up in a dirty, shit caked corner of the basement, humming to herself and playing with a spiderweb.   
‘Ciri we must get her out of here. Can we bring her to Corvo Bianco to get help?’  
‘Of course. Orianna, do you mind?’  
‘No, please. Do what you will. I feel bad enough for how I have let this happen to her. All of it, really. I should have been more protective of my little Cecilia.’  
‘Orianna… you should come too,’ Ciri urged.  
‘What? To your father’s estate? After everything?’ Orianna was now really in shock.  
‘Yes, please, I insist. Please. You deserve better than all this, and what are you going to do here all alone? Please come. You are safer with us anyway,’ Ciri begged.   
Orianna was touched as she reached out to put her arm on Ciri’s shoulder. ‘Thank you, Cirilla… I admit I am tempted by your offer, but—‘  
‘Then that settles it. Come now. I will teleport back with Cecilia and you and Anna can ride the horses back,’ Ciri said, before disappearing before their eyes, holding the deranged Cecilia Bellante in her arms.   
Arriving again at Corvo Bianco with a severely injured woman in her arms for her mothers to heal, Ciri felt bad for asking so much of her family. But she knew that they would do anything to make her happy, and she knew that Anna, Syanna, Cecilia, and likely Orianna too, had never felt the love of a caring and powerful family before, which made Ciri even more sad as she carried Cecilia into the house, who was now foaming at the mouth and seizing from the journey and being taken out of the basement likely for the first time in years. Corvo Bianco was about to become a whole lot more interesting, Ciri thought to herself as she set Cecilia down on the very same cot that she placed Syanna on some weeks past.


	7. The Masked Singer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sorceresses of Corvo Bianco try to heal Cecilia and Ciri and Syanna are able to have some alone time...

‘Gods Ciri what is this? It’s clearly not human…’ Philippa said scornfully at Ciri after she brought them the deranged and feral version of Cecilia Bellante.  
‘It is a long story… but she at one point was human, and then turned into a vampire. But she couldn’t over come her bloodlust which is why she her mind is all scrambled like this. Do you think you can help her?’ Ciri pleaded.  
‘Yenna, what do you think? I have never dealt with this kind of thing before…’ Philippa asked, clearly frustrated at her own lack of knowledge and having to defer to Yennefer, who arguably had run into many more strange things in her time.  
‘Ciri… I know not why you brought this to us… but rest assured we are the only ones who would be able to help her. You may recall I had to help Avallach overcome a particularly powerful curse that had scrambled both his mental and physical forms. This should prove to be far simpler than that, since physically speaking it just looks like she needs a good meal. Getting her sensibilities back should prove simple enough, though still painful,’ Yennefer explained.  
‘Gods what a relief,’ Ciri exhaled.  
Orianna and Anna arrived an hour later, no doubt packing up the few things Orianna still possessed that were still intact, and traveling on horseback. Ciri went outside to greet them and inform them of the news.  
‘Anna, good news! They can heal Cecilia! They are starting her treatment now. They just cleaned her up and put her in some fresh clothes, and now they are going to start,’ Ciri exclaimed.  
‘This is fantastic news, Ciri. Thank you for bringing her here so quickly,’ Anna said, hugging her friend. ‘I will see to it that Orianna gets situated in a guest room, if you will permit me. Are the sorceresses in agreement that we can host Orianna and Cecilia?’  
‘Yes yes of course. They don’t even notice honestly… they are too busy having their own fun,’ Ciri lied, having not even asked her mother, but knowing full nobody would care.  
Once Orianna was set up in a guest room and resting, and after checking on a napping Syanna, Anna and Ciri cautiously walked over to the treatment area where Cecilia was being looked at by the sorceresses.  
Her wild eyes were darting around frantically, likely filled with fear over the three sorceresses that were standing over her and trying to restrain her to begin their treatment. She was opening her mouth, but hardly anything was coming out, and Anna looked horrified as she watched her once self-possessed lover writhe around senselessly. Ciri reached out and pulled Anna into her arms, holding her while tears streaked down her cheeks as the sorceresses finally managed to wrangle Cecilia down and Yennefer began to administer the decoctions. Triss had told Ciri of how when they last tried to heal Avallach, they had to administer him to the Trial of the Grasses decoctions that would essentially make him over again, anew, and could be reformed to his old self. It sounded simple enough, but listening to Cecilia scream and shake, grabbing at the edges of the cot so hard that her fingernails broke off, Ciri was so relieved that she had never gone through that, also thanks to Triss.  
Anna could not keep looking, and instead turned into Ciri’s chest and cried while Cecilia continued to scream and wriggle from under Philippa’s restraining magic. It was even hard for Ciri to watch, since reshaping Cecilia’s mind would mean that she would also have to live through all of the pain that Anna’s father had put her through, and that would be more fresh in her mind than it would have been previously, when her mind was nothing but a cesspool of rat guts and darkness. But hopefully it would also bring back memories of her and Anna being together, and Ciri hoped more than anything that Anna did not closely resemble her father.  
Anna didn’t stop crying and shaking for the next hour into Ciri’s chest while Ciri held her and looked on, grimacing at the painful treatment Cecilia was receiving. A few times it proved to be too much for Cecilia to bear, and she would collapse and fall limp against the cot, but being a vampire, her body could not let go of her spirit, and a few minutes later, she would come back to breathing and screaming against Philippa’s magic. Ciri could not imagine how tragic Cecilia’s life had been as a performer and a young woman, how objectified and lonely she must have felt as everyone around her just treated her like an animal for their own pleasure. And Ciri wondered how much of her pain was coming from reliving those memories as they were from the painful decoctions she had to ingest, or dying from the pain and being revived from the vampire blood now coursing through her veins.   
When finally Yennefer, Triss, and Philippa finally finished, Anna and Ciri promptly fed them and tucked them all into bed so they may rest after yet another long day of healing. Then to Cecilia…  
She lay breathing so faintly on the cot that Anna had to hold her finger under Cecilia’s nose to make sure she was still, then Ciri scooped her up to bring her to a guest room with Anna following close behind. Ciri placed her down onto the bed, likely the first real bed Cecilia had slept on in several years since her transformation. Ciri let Anna take over to tuck her in, and Anna placed a light kiss on her forehead as a single tear slid down onto Cecilia’s face. Ciri knew that Cecilia was utterly spent, but she also knew Anna was so broken by the events of the day and the disturbing things she had learned.   
‘Anna perhaps you should sleep here tonight?’ Ciri asked.  
‘No… no. I think the last thing she needs is a person in her bed she did not ask for,’ Anna said tearfully, ‘I never want her to be so intruded upon again.’  
Anna grabbed Ciri’s hand and led her back to Syanna’s room, where Anna still slept on a small cot instead of in a guest room, wanting to remain close to her sister and now good friend without intruding on their bed.  
‘Thank you, Ciri… for everything. I would have lost everything without you,’ Anna said sadly before climbing into her bed.  
‘Anna… I’m sorry. You’ve been through so much. Today was a long day and I hope you feel like you are family here. I would do anything for you and Syanna, you know that right?’ Ciri said, kneeling down next to Anna’s cot.  
‘Yes, Ciri. Thank you. You and your mothers are so generous and caring, more than anything I have ever known in my whole life. I feel blessed to be here and I could never repay you I—‘  
‘You never have to, Anna. You are family,’ Ciri said, kissing Anna on the forehead and tucking her in. ‘Now I think we are due for some rest. We have more patients to tend do at Corvo Bianco so we have to keep our health up.’

The next morning, Ciri was woken up by soft kisses up and down the side of her neck by a nearly recovered Syanna.  
‘Mm good morning, my love, how are you?’ Ciri said groggily.  
‘Much better now, and Anna got up early this morning…so…’ Syanna was giggling.  
Ciri laughed in response and mounted her Syanna, shaking the sleep off as she looked at her, who for the first time in nearly a month was feeling alive and strong enough to be physical again.  
‘Syanna… before we do anything and while we have some privacy I think we have to talk,’ Ciri said cautiously, stroking Syanna’s cheeks with her fingers and kissing her chin.  
‘Hmm yes I suppose I knew this was coming…’  
‘I… I want you to know I would never pass any judgement on you, and I… I love you. I love you dearly, Syanna. You know that.’  
‘I love you too, Ciri. Of course I do. You saved my life and cared for me in a way that nobody else has,’ Syanna said, tears forming in her eyes, ‘I am sorry for everything. Everything I kept from you and all that I brought to you and your family.’  
Syanna couldn’t hold back her sobs as she looked away from Ciri, but Ciri kissed her cheeks and held her face, gently turning her back to facing each other.  
‘Please, Syanna. Don’t feel bad. I understand. Anna told me as much as she knew and I want you to know that you never have to explain yourself or justify yourself to me. There was a time I would have watched the world burn for what it did to me too. Trust me, Syanna, for what they did to you I would have done the same thing.’  
‘I don’t deserve you, Ciri… I have made too many mistakes.’  
‘Syanna don’t talk like that. You deserve to be loved and taken care of just as much as anyone else. You sacrificed yourself to protect Anna all those years ago and nobody could save you back then, but you have a family here that will do anything to protect you now.’  
Syanna couldn’t speak as she choked on her sobs, and Ciri held her face close to her chest, kissing the top of her head as she cried.  
‘I love you, Syanna. I love you so dearly.’  
Ciri couldn’t make out what Syanna responded, but figured she was saying it back.   
‘I also want you to know that I know who did this to you… and you can’t stop me from going after them.’  
‘Ciri NO please, my love it is too dangerous don’t go.’  
‘Syanna please I must. I cannot let them live for what they did to you.’  
‘Ciri you do too much for me why do you have to do this? Why risk your life for me when I am safe already by being here?’  
‘How do we really know you are safe? How do we know they won’t try as soon as you leave Corvo Bianco? You can of course stay as long as you like, but eventually don’t you want to see the world with me? Or go out on the adventures you were robbed of because you were always on the run? You deserve a good life, Syanna. I won’t let anybody take that from you.’  
‘Ciri…’  
‘Don’t, Syanna. Nothing you say could change my mind, and I want to still make love to you before your sister gets back.’  
Syanna laughed and wiped her tears, ‘Fair enough, my love, now hurry up,’ she continued through the last of her tears before taking Ciri’s shirt off and sucking gently on her nipples, feeling Ciri’s wetness over her pants with her hand.  
‘Oh my did you miss this, my love?’  
‘Gods you have no idea,’ Ciri sighed as she took Syanna’s pants off and started feeling Syanna’s sex with her fingers. Ciri could tell Syanna missed her too, judging by how much cum was already pooling in her hand. Ciri couldn’t resist as she brought her palm to her lips, taking a drink of her Syanna, the flavor she missed so much while her lover was recovering.  
Syanna gasped as she suckled on Ciri’s nipples upon feeling Ciri enter Syanna with two fingers, then slowly three, even four since she was so wet. Ciri kissed the top of her forehead as she started to insert all five fingers inside of her Syanna, who clearly longed for Ciri to be inside her again after all this time. Moving her whole hand in and out of Syanna, thoroughly coated with cum, and feeling Syanna shake, Ciri was in absolute ecstasy now that she could make love with her Syanna again.  
Syanna was shaking, biting Ciri’s nipples harder and harder the deeper Ciri pushed her hand in further, now wrist deep inside of her.  
‘Ow, fuck, baby ease up a little haha,’ Ciri giggled, relishing how Syanna was losing control. Ciri was never the dom of the relationship, but Ciri could lead their sexual engagements as much as Syanna did when they were not acting in their dom or sub roles.   
Ciri’s arm was starting to ache as she kept on pounding, unrelentingly into Syanna, who could take quite a lot for someone who was nearly dead a month and a half ago; both of them were cursing and sweating and moaning, feeling all of their pent up sexual urges release as Ciri’s fist shoved in and out of Syanna’s tight wet slit. Ciri eventually moved down to suck on Syanna’s clit, and Syanna immediately grabbed Ciri’s hair, holding the ashen haired wench’s head in place as Syanna squirted all over Ciri’s face.   
Syanna’s screaming just blended into the constant sounds of sexual ecstasy that could be heard around all of Corvo Bianco on any typical day, which was likely why Anna did not think to knock before walking in on Ciri, elbow and face deep in Syanna, and Syanna uncontrollably squirting all over the bed.   
‘GODS—‘ Anna screamed as she shut the door.  
Ciri let Syanna finish before both of them starting laughing uncontrollably. Ciri helped Syanna dress before quickly throwing on a long linen shirt herself, both of them still laughing as they slowly emerged from their room to apologize to Anna.  
‘Anna? Sorry about that…’ Ciri said, looking around for Anna. She helped Syanna walk down the hall to the guest room Cecilia was sleeping in, and Ciri pressed her ear to the door before knocking, careful to to repeat Anna’s mistake. Ciri could hear whispered voices, so she decided to knock and enter cautiously.  
She saw Anna and the three sorceresses speaking gravely in the corner as Cecilia slept on, and Ciri guessed that it wasn’t looking good for the broken singer. Philippa caught Ciri’s eye and walked over to Ciri, pushing her out of the room into the hallway, closing the door behind her.   
‘Dear Ciri… it looks like your friend is in a coma. And at this point it is unknown whether she will wake or not. But it looks like the Trial of the Grasses proved to be too much for her form. She is barely holding on. I’m sorry,’ Philippa said sadly.  
Ciri was beginning to like Philippa, especially after witnessing her care for Triss so dearly, and could even appreciate that she tried to talk Ciri and Anna through this difficult time, and of course appreciated all that she had done for Syanna. But Ciri knew that Philippa was pessimistic by nature, and refused to think this would be the end for Cecilia. Ciri felt in her gut that somehow Cecilia not waking up had something to do with the larger issue of the vampire uprising that was building against the royal family of Toussaint and all they held dear… there had to be something she could do.


	8. A break from the action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some Ciri/Syanna fluff, more coming soon

‘Easy, baby, easy,’ Ciri cooed into Syanna’s ear. ‘Please don’t let me cum so fast please, my love, please.’  
‘I could listen to you beg all day, dear witcher… if you want me to stop you’ll have to make me,’ Syanna whispered back into Ciri’s breasts as she persistently kept pushing her first two fingers into Ciri’s pussy and two in her ass.  
Ciri took Syanna up on the challenge, throwing the dark haired princess on her back, pinning her down to the bed. Ciri could feel herself leaking all over Syanna’s stomach, which made Syanna giggle as she gazed down at Ciri’s sex.  
‘I love you, you know,’ Syanna said, looking up earnestly at Ciri.  
‘I love you,’ Ciri said back, stroking Syanna’s hair as they gazed into each other’s eyes.   
Syanna wrapped her arms around Ciri as they began to kiss passionately, moaning into each other’s mouths. Ciri began to snake her right arm down to Syanna’s clit, rubbing in circles around Syanna’s most sensitive area. Syanna gasped and bit onto Ciri’s lip, both of them starting to taste blood at how hard she was biting into the white haired woman’s lip. In response, Ciri broke away to bite Syanna’s neck, which caused a hiss and a curse to escape from Syanna’s lips. Ciri took that exact moment to push two fingers inside of Syanna’s dripping pussy, keeping her thumb on her clit, which made Syanna yell even louder.  
‘GODS, CIRI’ Syanna screamed as she scratched down Ciri’s back, Ciri feeling the princess’s pussy tightening around her fingers. Ciri kept biting her neck, hard, until she heard Syanna start to sniffle, which made Ciri stop immediately.  
‘Syanna? Are you okay? Too hard?’ Ciri asked, stopping everything to check on her lover.  
‘Yes… I…’ Syanna started to sob.  
‘Come here, baby,’ Ciri said as she wrapped Syanna in her arms and pulled her face into her chest, kissing the top of her head as she began to cry.  
‘I love you, Syanna. So so much.’  
‘I know, my Ciri.’  
‘What is it, baby? What’s wrong?’  
‘I just… I have just never had this before. Sleeping in a bed with someone for the past three months. Waking up to you each morning and making love until the afternoon… I just never have felt like I have had so much to lose. And I regret so much now that I have to worry about you and I have put you and your family at risk because of me.’  
‘Oh Syanna… I know you have had an unforgiving life in your past. But I love you and you love me, and I can take care of myself. Same goes for my family, baby. I mean, gods, we are witchers and sorceresses I think we can handle ourselves. Don’t cheat yourself out of happiness because you have a complicated history. Please.’  
‘O-Okay. I just…’ Syanna paused as she began to sob heavier into Ciri’s chest, ‘I don’t want you to have to pay for the mistakes I have made. Because of Detlaff.’  
‘Syanna,’ Ciri said, taking her lover’s face in her hands, ‘He will never hurt you again. Geralt took care of that and I vow to take care of you from now on. Nobody will ever hurt you like he did. I promise.’  
Syanna kissed Ciri as Ciri rubbed up and down her back, especially gently over the many raised scars that ran up and down her lover’s body.   
‘Were these from him?’ Ciri dared to ask.  
‘Most of what you see is from him… he loved like an animal.’  
‘Fucking bastard,’ Ciri said, fighting back tears herself. But she couldn’t fight off her sobs, as she began to think about how Detlaff must have used to beat her, cut her up, tear her apart; Geralt had told Ciri that Detlaff was emotionally reckless and extremely violent. Ciri saw evidence of that whenever she went to Beauclair, which still was not recovered from the havoc he wrought over the city, Orianna’s ruined estate being the most fresh in her memory.   
The two women continued to cry, but they held each other and kissed each other’s tears away, getting back into the rhythm of their love.   
‘I’m sorry. For everything they did to you.’  
‘Don’t be. If not for my scars, you would not have noticed me.’  
This made Ciri laugh as she tickled Syanna’s sides.  
‘Good thing your trauma gave you a sense of humor,’ Ciri whispered into Syanna’s ear as she began to finger her lover once more.  
Both of them were still crying, letting the tears fall upon each other’s face as they kissed and moaned. Ciri was gently but forcefully pushing her fingers inside Syanna, picking up the pace as she continued to lock lips with her weeping lover. Syanna was getting wetter by the second, her pussy tightening once more around Ciri’s fingers.  
‘I love you, Ciri.’  
‘I love you, Syanna. Now cum for me, baby. Please.’  
Ciri began to move her hand faster and faster and she felt Syanna reach her own hand down to rub her clit to comply with Ciri’s request.  
‘I- I am going to c- cu— cum for you, my love’ Syanna tried to get out, as Ciri felt Syanna arch her back and squirt into her hand. Twitching, crying, and holding onto Ciri for dear life, Syanna climaxed as Ciri held onto her tightly, still kissing her. Ciri didn’t stop until she felt Syanna fall back into the bed and collapse against Ciri’s tight embrace, both of them wiping up the remainder of their tears.  
Syanna rolled onto Ciri’s chest, kissing her breasts as she lay on her lover’s chest. Ciri kissed the top of her head, massaging Syanna’s back.  
‘I know you will go after the vampires. I want to go with you. I don’t need you to do it for me,’ Syanna said into Ciri’s left nipple as she began to suck on it gently.  
Ciri moaned as she replied, ‘Who told you?’  
‘Who do you think?’ Syanna fired back as she bit down.  
‘Ugh fuck, baby. Remind me not to ask Anna to help me plan your surprise birthday party. Okay fine. After I finish investigating and when you are strong enough to hold a sword you can come,’ Ciri replied breathlessly as Syanna began twisting Ciri’s other nipple.   
‘Mmm that’s a good girl,’ Syanna moaned as she began to open Ciri’s pussy up. ‘Are you ready to take my fist now?’  
Ciri began to laugh as she opened her legs and felt Syanna begin to loosen her up and suck on her clit.   
‘After I make you squirt all over this bed, I will get right off to training’ Syanna giggled into Ciri’s pussy.


	9. The World of the Unseen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciri goes to the Unseen to try to take care of the vampire problem...

Ciri and Syanna emerged from their room well into the afternoon, as was customary since Syanna regained her strength. Both of them were thoroughly exhausted and sweaty, and ambled over to the kitchen to have their first meal of the day.  
‘Having fun, ladies?’ Anna giggled.  
‘Mmm yes, tons of fun,’ Ciri said, winking at Syanna.  
‘How is Cecilia doing, Anna?’ Syanna asked.  
‘Not much has changed… I just pop in to make sure she is breathing and check her temperature and whatnot. Even if she never woke up again I still would take care of her,’ Anna said, looking down.  
Ciri and Syanna went to both sides of her and embraced her tightly.  
‘I promise we will make things right, Anna, and she will recover. She has access to the best care in all the land, so I know she will,’ Ciri mumbled into Anna’s shoulder, holding her new sister tightly.  
From across the house, all three of them perked up to the sounds of all of the children of the estate laughing and screaming and clomping around. They immediately went to go investigate what the ruckus was all about.  
‘Orianna! You look better!’ Ciri laughed at the once proud vampiress that was now laughing and buried under a pile of Triss and Yen’s children.  
‘I have not been around children since… well anyway it feels good to be able to play and laugh again. I am grateful to be here,’ Orianna exhaled as she wrestled with Ciri’s young siblings.  
‘We are certainly glad to have you. These kids are too much for us, and I am noticing that Yen, Triss, and Phil are absent… another jaunt to the river, I’m assuming?’ Ciri rolled her eyes at her parents dumping their kids with the houseguest to go bathe and have sex. As if they didn’t get enough.   
Orianna smiled and showed no annoyance whatsoever. ‘Ciri, your parents have earned every break and every pleasure. As far as I am concerned, I am very much in their debt and I do not even consider this to be repayment since these children bring me so much joy.’  
‘Well I am glad to hear it, Orianna, and please consider living here indefinitely. It seems that you have already cemented yourself as a much needed caretaker and potential governess… these children are both spoiled and powerful and would benefit from having a fun but disciplined caretaker,’ Ciri replied.   
Syanna and Anna scooped up several of the children that had passed out from all the fun and carried them off to their rooms. My gods, Ciri thought, everyone is here just taking care of these babies while my parents go out to fuck and make some more… It is a goddamn factory out here. And yet, Ciri could not bring herself to be mad or frustrated because everyone seemed to be having a good time. Her parents could take more breaks now that Orianna had come, and Orianna had rediscovered herself and her purpose in taking care of kids once more. Corvo Bianco had become undoubtedly stranger, but all the more joyous with every new houseguest.   
‘I hate to interrupt, Orianna, but now that the kids seem ready for a nap, I hope you don’t mind if we discuss more serious business,’ Anna said gently into Orianna’s ear.  
‘Certainly, your Highness. Please ask me anything.’  
‘Orianna, as you know, we have somewhat of a vampire problem and we have to assume that as soon as we leave Corvo Bianco, more attacks will be imminent,’ Ciri started.  
‘Yes I think that assumption is correct,’ Orianna corroborated.   
‘As much as we love it here, Ciri and I cannot stay here forever, and Anna has a kingdom under her care that she has been neglecting to take care of me. Eventually we have to fight back to return to the world,’ Syanna stated.  
‘I guess what we want to know is what is at the root of all this… since Detlaff died, we assumed that most of this would die with him but it seems that it is still just as dangerous for the royal family as it was when he was still terrorizing Beauclair,’ Anna pressed.   
‘Yes, of course. And I am afraid the root of it all is quite simple, but impossibly difficult to overcome, I’m afraid,’ Orianna said cautiously.  
‘What does that mean?’ Syanna said frustratedly. Ciri held her hand tightly to restrain her and pressed Orianna.  
‘Orianna does this mean we would have to confront the Unseen Elder Vampire himself?’  
‘It means you have to make him an offering… one that will compensate for the blood that has been spilt. Meaning that he will want Syanna’s life because she took Detlaff’s, albeit indirectly.’  
‘Well obviously we cannot offer him that… what is something else we can give him? An Unseen Elder Vampire is one of the most powerful creatures on earth what could we possibly have to offer?’ Anna asked frantically.  
‘I am afraid that you know as well as I do at this point… I am afraid he has an affinity for the old ways. I suppose as a way to make things as they were in our world before the Conjunction brought us here to yours. I know that he resides at the sealed entrance to our old world and wants for nothing else than to return. In a cave across the lake,’ Orianna offered.  
‘Wait a minute…’ Ciri was thinking out loud.  
And then it hit her like an Aard to the chest. She immediately ran up to her room to began strapping on her armor and swords. Her mind was racing frantically and she knew, with almost absolute certainty how she could bargain with the Elder Vampire. It could not be more obvious.  
Syanna interrupted her thoughts by barging into the room.  
‘Ciri? Do you care to explain what is running through your head? Remember you promised I could go with you?’ Syanna asked, Anna now standing behind her sister in Ciri’s doorway.  
‘I know what to do. You both have to stay here and you have to stay safe. Do not even try to negotiate because it will be too dangerous. You have no hope to survive against him, please let me just go,’ Ciri fixated on getting her supplies together.  
‘Ciri, just slow down, okay? Stop stop just look at me, please,’ Syanna went to Ciri and held her face in her hands, ‘You don’t need to do this. If we are safe here, then we can live here permanently. I don’t need to go anywhere else; I just need you. Please, Ciri. Don’t do this. We are safe here and we can stay. Please don’t go. Please don’t risk your life for me. Please,’ Syanna pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.  
‘Syanna, this is not the life I wanted to have with you. As happy as I am here, I know that I want to explore the world with you. And it’s about more than just me and you… the fates of Anna, Cecilia, and Orianna are tied up in this too. Please let me go. I promise I will return. I swear to you, my love,’ Ciri begged.  
Syanna collapsed onto the floor, ‘Please, Ciri, I cannot lose you. If you die because of me, I will not be able to live with myself, please baby do not go,’ she started to sob.  
Anna crouched down and held her sister, ‘Ciri… do what you need to do. I will tell your parents where you are and take care of her. Go.’  
Ciri knelt down and kissed both of them on the forehead before stepping over them and running out of the house.

Ciri found herself at the entrance of a pitch black cave, a cool breeze stroking her cheeks that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up. Geralt used to tell Ciri all about the powerful creatures he came up against, but his encounter with the Unseen was a topic he frequently breezed over. Standing before the abyss, she could understand why he did not wish to reminisce about his encounter.  
Proceeding carefully down winding pathways, cursing the fact that she could not even stomach a simple Cat potion, Ciri took longer to reach the bottom than she cared to admit after being lured down false tunnels that lead to dead ends after miles of traversal. Even with the her teleportation powers, she found it took her hours to reach the bottom. But then again, in complete darkness she had no reference for time.   
She knew she had reached the bottom when she began to see flickering torch lights in the distance. She clenched her fists and walked into the light.  
Above her, the Unseen was hanging upside down, laughing.  
‘Welcome, Child of the Elder Blood. It took you long enough to reach me. Not quite a Witcher yet?’  
‘How do you know this?’  
‘You keep strange company, Child, do you not know that vampires are my eyes and ears? You have two in your home, and whether they like it or not, I can access their senses.’  
‘Well at the very least that saves us some time since you know what I want.’  
‘The real question is do you have what I want?’ the Unseen laughed again before vanishing.  
Ciri drew her sword out of reflex and felt the Unseen grabbing around her throat from behind her at the same time.  
‘Will you bring me the head of Detlaff’s lover?’  
‘Is that really what you want most?’ Ciri managed to get out, ‘I know there is something you want more.’  
‘Oh? And what might that be?’ He questioned, squeezing her throat even harder, letting her feet dangle off the floor.  
‘To… return… to… your…….. world,’ Ciri managed to get out.  
‘AHHHHHHH!!!’ he yelled and threw Ciri across the cave, ‘You little slimy worm, you know not of what you speak. And for this disrespect I will have no choice but to kill you and let the remaining vampires of Toussaint descend upon your quaint little estate.’  
Ciri staggered up to her feet, feeling a couple broken ribs that made her wheeze slightly as she breathed. She clutched at her side, holding her bones in place.  
‘I, like those before me, can traverse to different worlds and times. Please. In exchange for you leaving me and my family alone, I will return you to your world,’ Ciri exhaled.  
The Unseen stiffened and stopped in his tracks.  
‘Impossible. There is no way a little bitch like you could possess so much power. Demonstrate.’  
Ciri was gasping for air and could feel blood spilling over her hand that was clutching her side. But she had come too far to give up now. In order to demonstrate she would teleport quickly to the vampire world and bring something back for him.  
‘What is something you miss from your world?’ she whispered.  
‘In my world, I had a favorite temple that housed the texts of our great laws and religion. Upon the altar of this grand temple, I left a string of beads etched with my family name. I was praying at this temple before the Conjunction ripped me from my realm. Bring me these beads and I will agree.’  
Ciri was bleeding more seriously now, and she knew that teleportation would take all of her strength. Wincing, she glowed green and disappeared, reappearing in a flash, collapsing on the ground with the beads in her hand. Unable to stand, she raised her hand to give the beads to the Unseen to inspect.   
He grabbed the beads and faced away from Ciri. Collapsing to his knees, he said ‘I accept, Child. You will take me home. And I will remove the order for Detlaff’s lover and grant the two traitors at your estate their freedom. Orianna, as the remaining higher vampire in Toussaint will become the new Unseen.’  
‘I will not have the strength to make a return trip… Please allow me to heal before I take you,’ Ciri mumbled into the ground as she bled out.  
‘I WILL NOT HAVE YOU MAKE ME WAIT. AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS HERE I WILL NOT BE MADE TO WAIT A SECOND LONGER.’  
‘Please… I beg you.’  
‘Your mortality makes me sick, and it is of no concern to me. You will bring me home and your family will be safe, just as you requested. I would kill you now… but like you said you have something I want. Bring me there. Now.’  
The Unseen placed his hand on Ciri’s head, pressing it into the ground, coercing her into teleportation. She mustered every last bit of her strength and teleported both of them to his world.


	10. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut epilogue chapters after this...

Syanna felt bad about bothering the sorceresses so much, especially when she knew they were just as worried about Ciri as she was. After spending the past year trying to track her using various magical methods and sending Geralt and Orianna out to look for her, hope was dwindling that Ciri was still alive. It had not taken them this long to find Ciri, even when she was on the run from the Wild Hunt.   
‘Um Yennefer, any new leads today?’ she asked, having almost no hope left.  
Usually, Yennefer would respond with something comforting, that they were trying, that if she was out there they would find her, things like that. But today, Yennefer could not make eye contact with Syanna, and instead pulled her into a soft embrace.  
‘It has been over a year now, Syanna. Of course we will continue to look, but I don’t want to give you any false expectations,’ Yennefer said as gently as she could.  
‘I— I know. I guess after seeing Anna and Cecilia get married last month I have been feeling extra sensitive. But I know that by now it seems like a long shot.’  
‘Syanna, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like and ask me about Ciri everyday if you like. She is my daughter and I want her to come home just as much as you do.’  
‘Thank you, Yen. I should probably rejoin my sister in the palace though. I know she wants me to be close to her, though probably after her and Cecilia have some time for themselves…’  
‘Yes there is no better time in a marriage than that sweet newlywed period, I must admit,’ Yennefer chuckled.  
‘Yeah… I can imagine,’ Syanna replied distantly.   
‘I mean— I’m sorry, Syanna, and you can stay close to us as we keep looking for Ciri if you like,’ Yennefer stammered.  
‘Thank you, Yen. I appreciate that. So much. Even though I don’t have Ciri anymore I am still so blessed that I can at least have family,’ Syanna began to tear up.  
‘Oh Syanna… dear girl… even though you might not officially be my daughter in law, I know that Ciri would have wanted that. And I think of you like a daughter now too,’ Yennefer said into the top of Syanna’s head.   
They both cried and held each other for the next half hour, both of them realizing that having so much time pass meant that the chances of finding her would at an all time low. And life would have to move on somehow.  
‘I don’t want to think that she is dead, but at the same time I don’t want to just leave and not acknowledge that she is gone…’ Syanna mumbled, wiping her tears away.  
‘Hmm I agree. How about instead of a funeral or something too tragic we can just hold a ceremony and light some candles for her? I can prepare a magical altar that will serve as a sort of signal beacon, should Ciri be lost in another dimension and be seeking out a direction that points her home. I know we already have an altar set up in the house, but perhaps we can make a new one? Two might be better than one in this case,’ Yennefer offered.  
‘Yes I think that would be lovely. Thank you, Yen,’ Syanna struggled to get out.  
Later that evening, they held a ceremony for all of their friends and family to attend inside the barn, which Syanna picked out since that used to be Ciri’s room. Anna and Cecilia returned to the estate for the first time since moving out and going on a honeymoon to Nazair, Orianna was now a permanent member of the Corvo Bianco estate, and more people Syanna did not know were also in attendance. Syanna sat in between Yennefer and Anna and sobbed the entire time.  
Long after everyone had a chance to say some kind words of hope and reconnect with old friends, eventually people moved to the courtyard for drinks, and left in the early hours of the morning after a long night of drinking. Syanna did not leave the barn, and knelt at the altar all night, crying, hoping and praying.   
Eventually, she got up and ambled back to the house. Completely exhausted, and realizing she would have to start moving on, she reluctantly found her sister in the kitchen.  
‘Syanna… how have you been?’ Anna said as she pulled her sister into a tight embrace.  
‘It… has been tough. But I don’t want to give up hoping,’ Syanna replied into her sister’s shoulder.  
‘She will return, Syanna,’ Cecilia purred into Syanna’s hair, hugging her from behind.  
Syanna could feel how happy her sister was now that Cecilia had recovered and they were married. They were a beautiful couple, and likely had a wonderful honeymoon that Syanna wanted to hear all about, but wasn’t sure if she could handle how happy they both were to be together.   
‘Okay I don’t want to gross you out with all of the details… but… Cecilia is pregnant!’ Anna exclaimed.  
‘Wha? How?’ Syanna was confused.  
‘Triss and Yen helped us… conceive, and now we are expecting,’ Anna was beaming, ‘You are going to be an aunt! I know you have had a rough time, but maybe you can move back in and we can all take our minds off of things to be together as a family?’  
‘I— I am happy for you, Anna, and Cecilia of course, but… I am not sure I am ready to move on just yet. I… I still feel…’  
‘Of course, of course, Syanna. No pressure and please don’t do anything you don’t want to do. I just want you to always feel like you can come home to us,’ Anna reassured her.   
‘No rush, Syanna, take your time,’ Cecilia cooed and tucked Syanna’s hair behind her ear, which made Syanna blush slightly at feeling her tuck her hair back the same way Ciri used to. Not that she had a crush on her sister’s new wife, by any means, but the sensuality of the singer (and now queen) was overpowering and Syanna had not been touched in so long. Syanna missed feeling Ciri’s by her side, and being around her sister, so happily in love, was still not ideal to Syanna.  
Syanna couldn’t be inside or around so many couples anymore, so she wandered outside alone to eat her breakfast. She walked by the river Ciri used to take her down, planting herself on the banks, under the trees, listening to the birds chirping and squirrels and fat chipmunks jump from branch to branch as she nibbled on some bread and cheese.   
Her mind was completely empty as she reclined back to lie against the grass and dip her feet in the water. At the very least, she was in Toussaint. And she finally had a family that loved her and cared for her so much. There was plenty to be happy about, and at least she was able to have Ciri while she did. For a time. And having her for even that amount of time was such a gift, one that Syanna would never ever forget or take for granted.   
Eventually, Syanna’s tired mind drifted off to a deep sleep.

Syanna eventually woke up, in a bed, and naked. Confused, and very alarmed, she looked around her and found that she was in fact in her room.  
The door suddenly opened, and Syanna was convinced somehow she died on that riverbank and had woken up in the afterlife.  
‘Hi… Um don’t be alarmed I just know that you like to sleep naked…’  
Syanna was frozen. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She couldn’t respond. She just froze in the bed and stared.   
Ciri walked over to her and sat down on the bed.  
‘I— I missed you. I’m so sorry it took me so long to come back.’  
Syanna was still frozen.  
Ciri leaned over and kissed Syanna on the forehead. ‘Can you please say something?’  
Syanna’s mind was racing. This couldn’t be possible. How had Ciri come back? What day was it? Was this real?  
‘I guess I should explain…   
I went to the Unseen to bargain with him: I knew he wanted to go back to his world and I took him there in exchange for ridding us of our vampire problem. But before we were able to discuss terms, he injured me and forced me to teleport him with the last of my energy. And I could not return. So I have effectively spent the last 10 years of my time to try to come back to you in this world in this timeline, and I apologize for taking so long, my love. My Syanna.   
I got back yesterday morning, thanks to the altar that Yennefer had set up, and when I couldn’t find you at the estate, I figured you would be here. And when I found you sleeping, I decided to bring you back here. And I guess that brings you up to speed…’  
Syanna couldn’t speak, and just tackled Ciri in the bed. The two rolled around and laughed and giggled for the next week, and then a month, then a year. Finally, when the two were able to do more than just eat and fuck, they decided to get marry and join Anna at the palace for a few months out of the year, going back and forth between Beauclair and Corvo Bianco, and the rest of the year on The Path, together always.


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Syanna makes a confession that leads to a new experience for the couple... more smut chapters coming soon to add onto this!

Ciri giggled and looked at her new wife, ‘Okay now tell me what is one thing you have always wanted to try but never was able to tell me?’  
Syanna turned bright red and buried her face into her pillow.   
‘This means you have thought of something truly filthy, my love, which means you must share…’ Ciri whispered into Syanna’s ear, nibbling on her cartilage.  
‘No gods it is so embarrassing, Ciri, please. And you will judge me for this I just know it. Please.’  
‘Baby…’ Ciri was licking up and down Syanna’s neck, making her wife shiver, ‘You know I don’t judge you and there is nothing too filthy or taboo for us to try…’  
‘Ugh… okay… well… to be honest… I have always…’ Syanna started, ‘Oh gods I never thought I would say this out loud… Ciri, my wife, you know how much I love you, of course. It’s just that a little part of me has also just had… a little crush on… Triss?’  
Ciri opened her eyes wide and could not quite mask her shock, since she never pegged Triss as being Syanna’s type, but of course, who could resist? Even Ciri had once had a fling with her now mother figure…  
‘Oh honey…’ Ciri said, kissing her wife on the lips, ‘No need to be ashamed of that. I understand completely… and if you knew the filthy things I have done with Triss, then you would know with even more certainty that she is as divine as she looks. Do you want to find out for yourself, my love?’  
‘AH this is all too much. I just… I would only really be interested in doing stuff if you were there too, baby, of course.’  
‘Mmm you know I am not the jealous type, baby, but of course I can be there. Let’s go ask her,’ Ciri said, hopping out of the bed to go down the hall to talk to Triss, dragging a reluctant and extremely embarrassed Syanna behind her.  
They found Triss in the kitchen, wearing only a bra and panties, humming to herself as she fixed herself a snack.  
‘Fuck,’ Ciri and Syanna both whispered under their breaths as they checked out the redhead that was busting out of her lingerie, her supple breasts almost spilling over the top of her bra, the slit of her pussy just visible through her see-through panties, her lips parting to nibble on the bread and cheese she had pulled from the cupboard.  
‘Um hey, Triss,’ Ciri said, now starting to feel nervous too after staring at her this way for the first time in so long.  
‘Ciri! And Syanna! What are you guys up to?’ Triss smiled at them. ‘Hungry?’  
‘Um… I guess you could say that… um Syanna had a proposition for you?’ Ciri pushed Syanna into the kitchen in front of the gorgeous redhead.  
‘UM NO I DON’T,’ Syanna screamed and ran back behind Ciri.   
‘Not to be too indelicate girls, but you do know that I can read your minds, right?’ Triss fired at the two of them.  
Syanna screamed into Ciri’s shoulder and tried to run back into the bedroom before Ciri grabbed her hand and held her still.   
Regaining her nerve, Ciri spoke up ‘Triss… you and I have had our fun… and Syanna was just confessing to me that she has always been wanting a little taste of you…’  
Triss laughed a sensual, throaty laugh and walked over to Ciri, who was trying to puff her chest and act confident now, and a shriveled and embarrassed Syanna who was trying to duck behind her wife and avoid all possible eye contact with the sorceress. She kissed Ciri on the lips, and then gently pushed her to the side to look at the embarrassed and completely bright, tomato red Syanna.  
Triss giggled as she took Syanna’s face in her hands, forcing the raven haired princess to look up at her, into her cornflower blue eyes.  
‘Do you want a taste, Syanna?’ Triss leaned forward to whisper into Syanna’s ear, ‘Do you want to see what it looks like when I cum?’  
Syanna moaned audibly, and Triss laughed that sensual laugh once more, which made Ciri wet with excitement. Ciri got behind Triss and snaked her hand into the sorceress’s panties, feeling how wet she was already as she kissed the redhead’s neck. Syanna’s eyes were wide as she watched Triss lean her head back and moan against Ciri, dissolving her bra into thin air and beginning to play with her own nipples.  
‘Do you want a taste, Syanna?’ Triss moaned as she bit her lip and looked directly at her.  
Finally, finding her nerve, Syanna took both Triss and Ciri by the hands and took them back to the bedroom, throwing both of them on the bed.  
‘Ugh GODS, I want to watch both of you going at it for the next hour before I join in…’ Syanna said breathlessly as she pulled a chair up next to the bed.  
Neither Ciri nor Triss had any objections, and they soon found themselves in a position they had once been in many, many years ago. Ciri mounted Triss, kissing her all over her breasts as Triss moaned and exhaled sharply through her teeth whenever Ciri bit too hard.  
‘Ugh I remember this like it was yesterday, Ciri,’ Triss giggled as she stroked Ciri’s hair and arched her back, ‘And I am happy that you are here, Syanna,’ Triss smiled at Syanna who was now completely naked in the chair, rubbing her clit and salivating as she watched Triss wriggle and moan under Ciri.   
Ciri eventually made her way down to Triss’s clit, which was so juicy and throbbing, completely slick with her juices. She began to suck so gently, which made Triss scream and roughly run her fingers through Ciri’s platinum hair, keeping her head buried in her pussy. Ciri loved how gently Triss could be so controlling in the bedroom, and she loved being able to taste her again.   
Ciri could tell how much Triss and Syanna were both enjoying this because they literally took no time to start squirting and cumming everywhere, screaming and looking at each other while they climaxed. Ciri was over the moon that Syanna had made such a confession this night, and was so delighted that their first threesome would be with someone so beautiful and experienced.  
After Triss had finished cumming, she immediately pinned Ciri down onto the bed, putting her head squarely in Syanna’s lap.   
‘Mmm watch closely, Syanna, this used to be one of Ciri’s favorites,’ the sorceress giggled as she opened up Ciri’s legs, throwing one leg over her shoulder as she began to lower herself to rub her pussy clit on Ciri’s, still leaking out so much cum, now getting all over Ciri.  
Triss began to grind her hips so slowly, holding Ciri’s upright leg firmly with one hand, playing with her nipples with the other, making intense eye contact with Syanna. Ciri was moaning, going crazy as she felt Triss’s wet, slick pussy gliding over her own, stimulating every surface of her sex, leaving no part of her exposed or untouched. Syanna could not hold out any longer as she stood up and kicked the chair away to lower her pussy onto Ciri’s face, who was greedily grabbing at her wife to sit on her face.   
Syanna leaned over, placing a hand on Ciri’s stomach, to start kissing Triss, who was moaning and giggling as she leaned over the rest of the way to lock lips with the princess. Ciri was barely holding on as she kept licking obediently all over Syanna’s folds and clitoris, almost choking on the amount of fluid that was gushing out of her wife. Ciri could understand; Triss was unmatched when it came to kissing and was famous for being able to make all of her partners climax from simply making out.   
It wasn’t long before Ciri started to twitch and buck her hips against Triss’s to go faster as she started to climax. Syanna began to reach the end of her stamina as well as she started to shake all over Ciri’s face as her climax began. Triss too was close to release as she began to sloppily hump all over Ciri’s sex as fast as she could, breaking away from Syanna’s lips to literally ride out her orgasm.   
All three of them came together, squirting all over each other in equal proportions, screaming, laughing and moaning as they began to come down.   
Rearranging positions again, Triss and Ciri pinned Syanna down onto the bed and began to kiss right above Syanna, much to Syanna’s content as she moaned and grunted like a rabid dog beneath them. Syanna played with her nipples as she watched Ciri and Triss kissing intensely, with tongue, moaning and feeling each other’s breasts and starting to finger each other above Syanna. Ciri broke away to look down at her wife, whose eyes were wild with lust at the sensual pair that was teasing her right in front of her face.  
Content with how rabid her wife was, she locked lips again with Triss and guided her down to Syanna’s opening, both of them propped up on their elbows at this point, still kissing sloppily and messily, letting their saliva drip all over Syanna’s clitoris. Still kissing, Ciri and Triss moved their heads down to Syanna’s clit, kissing each other as they made contact, slipping their tongues into each other’s mouths and sliding over Syanna’s clit.   
Syanna was screaming already before Ciri took Triss’s hand and pushed the sorceress’s two fingers inside of her wife’s pussy as she pushed two in her ass. Still kissing over Syanna’s throbbing clitoris, they fingered her vigorously as she screamed and bucked her hips, literally going crazy from the stimulus of the two powerful women pounding her holes as well as the visual of the two most sensual women kissing over her pleasure.  
It was a divine moment for all three of them as Syanna came harder than Ciri had ever seen before as her eyes rolled back and she shook almost uncontrollably, of course squirting all over her and Triss.   
Then it was Ciri’s turn to rotate through this position, and finally Triss. When it was all finished, and all three of them fell back onto the bed, absolutely drained (quite literally), Triss was the first to speak up after catching her breath, ‘Well… this will definitely have to happen again…’  
All three of them laughed and Syanna and Ciri both rolled towards the middle to place their heads on Triss’s soft breasts.   
‘Syanna, my love, did that meet your expectations?’  
‘Baby, I cannot even describe how much this has exceeded my expectations, gods,’ her wife laughed.


End file.
